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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 




THE 



COMING OF THE LORD; 



KEY TO THE BOOK OF REVELATION. 



WITH AN APPENDIX. 



The plain sense of the Scriptures, or that which naturally strikes the minds 
of plain men as the real meaning, is almost of course the true sense. — Dod- 
dridge. 

Surely I come quickly : Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. — Rev. xxii. 20. 



\^ 



BY JAMES M. MACDONALD, 

MINISTER OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, JAMAICA, L. I. 



/ 



NEW YORK: 
BAKER AND SCRIBNER, 

36 PARK ROW AND 145 NASSAU STREET. 



1846 










Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1845, 

BY BAKER & SCRIBNER, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States 

for the Southern District of New York. 






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........... j . • . x i 



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TO THE 

PRESBYTERIAN CONG-REG-ATION, 

JAMAICA, L. I. 

THIS VOLUME 
IS AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED. 



PREFACE. 



To the celebrated Dr. South has been attributed the say- 
ing, that the study of the Apocalypse either finds a man 
mad, or makes him so ; and long since it was mentioned 
as high praise of John Calvin, that he never wrote on this 
book of Holy Scripture. Even ministers of the gospel are 
sometimes heard to confess that they avoid making this 
book, or any portion of it, a subject of instruction to their 
congregations. But how are we to reconcile a studied neg- 
lect of this book, amounting to a virtual proscription of it, 
with its inspired authority ? Believing, as the writer does, 
that the Book of Revelation is a part of that " Scripture 
given by inspiration of God," he also believes that it must 
be " profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for 
instruction in righteousness." He knows of no warrant 
for turning away from this book, which we have not for 
turning away from Malachi, or Genesis, or any other book 
of the Bible. No one is authorized to say that he can find 
enough in other parts of Scripture for his instruction and 
consolation, without meddling with a book which is con- 
fessedly so hard to be understood. God knew where it was 
best to close the canon of Scripture ; and as He did not 
see fit to close it with the Epistle of Jude, no Christian has 
a right, at that point, to shut up his Bible, and refuse to 
read or study farther ; and especially is this true of those 
who profess to be expounders and teachers of the contents 
of the Bible. 

It is a very mistaken idea that the Apocalypse is a con- 
fused medley of disconnected visions. On the contrary, 
it is one of the most methodical books of the New Testa- 
ment. It is characterized by unity and continuity of de- 
sign and structure, and has the connection and order of 
history itself. By this, however, we do not mean that it 



vi PREFACE. 

constitutes a complete compendium of civil and ecclesias- 
tical history. But, its design being to afford consolation to 
persecuted Christians, it predicts the overthrow not only of 
the persecuting powers that existed at the time it was writ- 
ten, but of all other persecuting powers that might arise in 
later ages, down to the period of the visible appearing of 
Christ in the clouds of heaven. The opinion that we are 
not to look in this book for anything relating to the enemies 
of pure religion, who have appeared subsequent to the 
apostolic age, because it was the design of John to console 
his companions in tribulation, appears very singular. How 
it was foreign to his design, after devoting at least one half 
of the book to foretelling the end of the existing persecu- 
ting powers, for him then to proceed to assure these suffer- 
ing Christians that future enemies of Christ's church would 
meet with a similar doom, it is very hard to understand. 
Indeed, if John had ended his work with predicting the de- 
struction of Jewish and Pagan persecutors, it would mani- 
festly have been incomplete ; for in the Apostle Paul's day 
another mystery of iniquity had already begun to work. 
Papal Rome succeeded to somewhat of the authority and 
influence, in the world, of Pagan Rome. The same city 
was the metropolis of both ; and, to a remarkable extent, 
the same territory was included by each. The former, as 
has been abundantly shown by the learned Dr. Middleton, 
perpetuated the idolatry of the latter. It was in this man- 
ner that the beast, which symbolized Papal Rome, made an 
image to the beast which symbolized Pagan Rome. The 
second, therefore, was nothing more than a reproduction of 
the first beast. Or, to draw an illustration from another 
symbol employed in this book, if the beast with seven heads 
and ten horns, which we admit represents the empire of 
Pagan Rome, was to carry a woman, who was to pollute 
and afflict the earth, leading men into an idolatry as gross 
as that of Pagan Rome itself, how, we ask, was it incon- 
gruous with the design of the Apocalypse for the writer to 
proceed to describe this woman and her abominations. If 
the old Roman empire has been perpetuated to this day, 
even in its heathen worship, as well as its bloody violence 
against that kingdom which is not of this world, we ask if 
it was not entirely apposite to the end John had in view, to 



PREFACE. vii 

include in his prophecy its cruelties, errors, and final over- 
throw ? 

But in saying that the Book of Revelation is not to be 
regarded as an epitome of history, we are very far from 
admitting that we are not to consult the pages of history to 
find specific events as a fulfilment of its various predic- 
tions. If the book is prophetical, it must predict events ; 
if it is fulfilled, it must be fulfilled by answering events, 
which it is the province of the historian to record. Truths 
so self-evident would not have been mentioned had it 
not been- for a theory promulgated, which, if the author 
understands it, amounts to this, that we are not to look 
for the particulars of history in the Apocalypse, but are 
to regard the prophecy it contains as a mere picture — 
a symbolical representation, not designed to be specifically 
or individually applied. It seems evident that such gene- 
ralization as this is a more dangerous extreme than the the- 
ory which makes the Apocalypse contain a complete syl- 
labus of history. Does it not nearly or quite destroy the 
prophetical character of the book ? It makes the object 
of John to be the publication of the general truth, that per- 
secuting enemies of the church will be destroyed. It re- 
presents that the words of John would have been as truly 
fulfilled if these enemies had been destroyed in any other 
way or by any other means. But to declare the general 
truth, that persecutors would be overthrown, why was proph- 
ecy necessary at all, when a simple promise would amount 
to the same thing ? In a word, what are predictions, which 
are so " generic " as not to admit of a specific application 
to the events of history, but mere promises ? 

In endeavoring to represent fairly the theory stated 
above, I feel bound to mention that by those who maintain 
it a specific application is given, in many instances, to the 
predictions of the Apocalypse. For example, what can be 
more specific than to understand by " the image of the 
beast that should speak," Rev., xiii. 15, certain statues of 
Nero, that had the appearance of animation, that could 
move the lips and appear to speak, &c. ?* The writer 
confesses that he does not understand the " hermeneutical 
principles " by which such an interpretation as this can be 

* See Stuart's Commentary, Vol. II., p. 288. 



Vlll PREFACE. 



reconciled with the theory that, in interpreting this book, 
particular and specific facts, which the pen of history re- 
cords, are scarcely in any instance to be recognized. 

In conclusion, the author would say that it has been his 
aim to prepare a work that would be generally useful ; 
and hence, whilst he has had the original text constantly 
before him, he has avoided the introduction of Greek words 
into his volume, as well as words from other languages, 
and newly-invented phrases in our own, not generally un- 
derstood by plain English readers. In two or three in- 
stances in which he has departed from this rule, it seemed 
to him unavoidable. At the same time, he is not conscious 
of having spared any pains to make his work worthy of at- 
tention from an enlightened Christian public. He hopes 
he has not written without some sense of solemn responsi- 
bility, and that he has not been unmindful of the awful de- 
nunciations which are made against that man who shall 
add to or take away any thing " from the words of the book 
of this prophecy. 5 ' He has sincerely sought to discover 
and promote the truth, and now humbly invokes on his 
work, and those who may give it a perusal, the blessing of 
the God of truth. 

September, 1846. 



INTRODUCTION 



DATE OP THE APOCALYPSE. 

From the confidence with which the testimony of 
Irenaeus has been appealed to, it might be inferred that he 
had written expressly on the date of the Apocalypse. In 
his work against Heresies, he remarks that there were 
some copies of the Revelation in which the passage, Rev. 
xiii. 18, was not to be found, but that all the more accurate 
copies contained it. The object of the whole chapter is 
to show that nothing should be rashly affirmed respecting 
the name of antichrist, (for it was to this name that 
Irenaeus supposed the passage, on which he was comment- 
ing, referred,) when the number of this name, 666, might 
be made to agree with so many names. He shows why 
the mystery of this name was not clearly explained, by 
the spirit of inspiration ; and the rest of the chapter relates 
to the kingdom, and the death of Antichrist. Obviously, 
it was not the design of the chapter in question to prove or 
assert any thing relative to the time when this book was 
written. 

There is, however, in the chapter referred to (Adv. 
Haeres, v. 30), a passage in which it is contended that he 
has incidentally recorded his opinion that the Revelation 

1 



2 INTRODUCTION. 

was written near the end of the reign of Domitian, an em- 
peror of Rome. The passage is as follows : — c H/ueig 
ovv ovx dnoyavdvvsvoftsv Ttsol rod ovo/uonog tov 'Av- 
tixqiotov dcTToqpaivojLievoi, fisSaicoiixcog, h yoco edei uvacpavdbv 

TO) VVV XCUQto X1]gvl'Q€o6ai TO OVOfiOl atflOU, di ixSlVOV &V ££)- 

Q&dq tov xal tt^v ^Anoxalvifjiv ewgaxaoTog ; odds yag nob 
nokXov xqqvov ewo&Orj, dlld o~%sdbv inl Tr\g fifxereqag ysvsag t 
nqbg tw tbUl t^g sdofisTiavov agx^g. " We will not, there- 
fore, in regard to this name of Antichrist, run the hazard 
of speaking positively ; for, if it had been necessary 
clearly to have proclaimed his name at the present time, 
it would have been done by him to whom the revela- 
tion was made. For it is not a long time ago [he] was 
seen, but almost in our day, near the end of the reign of 
Domitian." . 

It will be observed that in the original the word swg&drj 
has no nominative expressed. If 'Anox&lvyjig is to be sup- 
plied, then it is evident that the testimony of Irenaeus is, 
that the Revelation was seen and written near the end of 
the reign of Domitian. But iVlw&vvqg is to be understood, 
as I have indicated in the translation above, then it follows 
that the authority of this ancient father can not be adduced 
in support of the later date which has been assigned to this 
book. The assertion that John was seen — that is, 
was alive — near the end of the reign of Domitian, of 
course does not prove that this book was written at that 
time. 

It is admitted that 'Anox&lvyyig is the more appropriate 
nominative (grammatically considered) to the verb of 
sight ; that the application of this verb to the man who had 
seen the vision appears unusual ; and that it is used, just 
above, in the active voice of the vision itself, which makes 
the transition to the seer somewhat sudden. It is also ad- 
mitted that the proper name itself, or the pronoun, might 



INTRODUCTION. 3 

have been easily expressed, as the subject of ewgdOv, to re- 
move all ambiguity arising from the fact that the word had 
just before been used of unox&lvipig. 

But the impression which these considerations are calcu- 
lated to make is much weakened, if not entirely overcome, 
by the fact, that in the beginning of the chapter Irenaeus, 
beyond all doubt, applies the same verb to John himself. 
His words are txeLvwv tojv xoti oijjip jov ' Iwavvrjv Sioquxotcov. 
Again, the scope of the entire passage is to assign a reason 
why it was not necessary, at the time Irenaeus wrote, for it 
certainly to be known who was pointed out by the number 
— " Six hundred three score and six." He argues that if 
this knowledge had been important at that time, it would 
have been communicated by the writer of the Apocalypse, 
who lived so near their own time that he might almost be 
said to be of their generation, yeveag. This being 
obviously the scope of his language, may have been the 
reason why Irenaeus did not, to remove all ambiguity, use 
the name of John, or the personal pronoun. There was 
also something about John, considering his great age, his 
somewhat mysterious character, and the deep interest which 
the church had in him as surviving apostle, which might 
make the verb kojgddi] peculiarly applicable to him. To 
say of one, " he was seen " — meaning thereby he was 
alive at a certain time, would be rather strange and un- 
ratural language, whether in Greek or English, as applied 
to an ordinary man. When we consider, however, how 
much would be thought of the mere fact of seeing this 
most aged apostle, and of being an eye-witness of one who 
had seen the Lord, there seems to be a natural solution of 
the difficulty arising from the unusual nature of the ex- 
pression — especially in connexion with the fact that this 
verb, beyond all doubt, is applied to him in the beginning 
of the chapter. 



4 INTRODUCTION. 

To say the least, the meaning of Irenaeus is doubtful on 
the very point for which his testimony is cited ; and if so, 
is certainly not to be appealed to against the evidence 
which the book itself furnishes to a different date, nor 
against the clear, positive testimony of other ancient wri- 
ters, if any such can be found. 

If the above reasoning be correct, it is perfectly obvious 
that there is nothing in Irenaeus on which any reliance 
can be placed, in determining the time when the Apoca- 
lypse was written. If he simply declares, what is dispu- 
ted by no one, that the apostle John was alive near the end 
of the reign of Domitian — and I think it would be difficult 
to prove that this is not the more natural import of his 
language — it by no means follows that he meant to assert 
that the apostle wrote the Apocalypse at that time. 

Clement, of Alexandria, speaks of John being banished 
to Patmos, but he does not give the name of the emperor 
— or TYRANT, as he styles him — who banished him, nor 
refer to the time when the book was written. 

Origen simply says that John was banished to Patmos by 
a king of the Romans, but he makes no mention of either 
Nero or Domitian. 

It appears to have been Eusebius, who flourished in the 
earliest part of the fourth century, who first expressly 
asserted that John was an exile in Patmos during the reign 
of Domitian. It is on the authority of this historian, it 
will probably be found, that the theory which assigns the 
Apocalypse to the time of Domitian mainly rests. But it 
appears, by many, to have been overlooked, that Eusebius 
does not ascribe the Revelation to John the apostle ; for he 
expressly says, " It is likely the Revelation was seen by 



INTRODUCTION. 5 

John, the elder." Lardner thinks that the critical argu- 
ment of Dionysius of Alexandria, who wrote against the 
Millenarians, had great weight with Eusebius. Dionysius 
held that the Apocalypse was written by an elder of Eph- 
esus, whose name was John — " a holy and inspired man." 
He endeavored to prove from the book itself — and it was 
this argument which evidentlv influenced Eusebius — 
from its style, especially its solecisms, Idubnaot, /lisp @olq- 
fiugtxolg* which so strikingly distinguish it from the Gospel 
and Epistles of the apostle, that he could not have been the 
author of it. Hence he gives the name of another John 
as its author. But I shall endeavor to show, in the sequel, 
that a more natural conclusion may be drawn from the 
style of the Greek, and one that will not tend to weaken 
the canonical authority of this book. I only add in rela- 
tion to Eusebius, that, as he was dependent for his know- 
ledge of the author on the book itself, he must have derived 
his knowledge of the time when it was written from the 
same source. His opinion, then, it is obvious, can have 
weight in determining the question under consideration, 
only as he can be shown to have been a sound and dis- 
criminating critic. 

Epiphanius [fl. A.D. 366] dates the Apocalypse in the 
reign of Claudius, who preceded Nero. This, also, was 
the opinion of the learned Grotius. Epiphanius is admit- 
ted to have been an inaccurate writer. Bp. Newton 
makes the suggestion that he might possibly have mistaken 
Claudius for his successor ; inasmuch as Nero had as- 
sumed the name, Nero Claudius Caesar. 

It is stated on the authority of Jerome, who flourished 
about the year of our Lord 380, that the apostle John, in 

* Euseb. Hist. Ec. lib. vii. c. 25. 
1* 



6 INTRODUCTION. 

the year of our Lord 96, at which many of the moderns 
have dated this book, was " so very weak and infirm, that 
he was with great difficulty carried to church, and could 
hardly speak a few words to the people."* That so aged 
a man, weighed down with the infirmities of a hundred 
years, and nearly laid aside from the active duties of his 
apostleship and ministry — residing, too, at a great distance 
from Rome — should have so excited the ire of the emperor 
as to have been banished to Patmos, and that there, or at a 
still later period, he should have written the Revelation, 
appears, to say the least, highly improbable, if not clearly 
absurd. The romantic adventure of the apostle, in pur- 
suing a young robber on horseback — related by Eusebius 
as having occurred after his return from exile — is equally 
inconsistent with fixing the time of his exile in the reign 
of Domitian. At the death of Domitian, A.D. 96, John 
was nearly one hundred years old ; and, as already shown 
from the testimony of Jerome, had become exceedingly 
infirm. 

Andrew, who was bishop of Csesarea, in Cappadocia, 
near the close of the fifth century, wrote a commentary 
on the Apocalypse, in which he affirms that this book was 
understood to have been written before the destruction of 
Jerusalem. Arethas, who was bishop of the same place 
in the sixth century, .assigns to the Apocalypse the same 
date. 

In the Syriac version, this book is entitled — The Reve- 
lation which was made by God to John, the evangelist, in the 
island Patmos, into which he was thrown by Nero C&sar. 
The Syriac version of the New Testament was made in 
the second century. It has, however, been confidently 

* Epist. ad Galat.j cap. 6. tome 4. 



INTRODUCTION. 7 

asserted that the version of the Apocalypse was not made 
until about A.D. 508. But learned critics maintain that 
it is by no means absolutely certain that this version was 
made at so late a period. The above inscription, there- 
fore, may possibly be among the more ancient testi- 
monies in regard to the time when the Apocalypse was 
written. 

Theophylact, in the eleventh century, places the origin 
of the Apocalypse during the reign of Nero. And such 
writers, it may be added, as Grotius, Lightfoot, Sir Isaac 
Newton, Warburton, Bishop Newton, Hammond, Wetstein, 
Dr. Tilloch, Dr. Adam Clarke, Prof. Lee, Prof. Stuart, and 
many of the German critics, have favored the opinion that 
the Apocalypse was written before the destruction of 
Jerusalem. 

I shall now proceed to point out the true and natural 
inference to be drawn from the instances of confused con- 
struction and Hebraisms with which the Apocalypse 
abounds. It is obviously this, that this book was written 
not long after John had left Judea, and of course before 
his Epistles and Gospel were written — i. e., before he had 
acquired that greater purity and accuracy of style, in the 
Greek language, which distinguish these last-named pro- 
ductions from the former. It may be premised, that about 
the beginning of the seventeenth century, scholars were 
divided in opinion in respect to the style of the New Tes- 
tament ; some maintaining that it accorded in every respect 
with ancient Greek purity and elegance ; whilst the oppo- 
site party not only recognized its Hebrew complexion, but 
represented this as a predominant characteristic. Towards 
the close of that century the latter opinion prevailed. 
More recently, some philologists have appeared disposed to 



8 INTRODUCTION. 

adopt a middle course, by maintaining that the Hebraisms 
of the New Testament are more frequently lexicographal 
than grammatical ; L e., that they chiefly consist in the 
change or extension of meaning of words, imitation of 
whole phrases, the analogous formation of new words, etc. 
At the same time, they admit that there are not wanting 
examples of the combination of Hebrew inflexions and con- 
structions, and a predilection for the preposition, where the 
Greeks use only the cases ; and that " native Greeks 
generally, did not understand, and therefore despised 5 ' the 
Greek as spoken among the Jews. 

In regard to the Apocalypse, in particular, Winer 
admits, as may be seen § 35, 2, Idioms of the New 
Testament, that the solecisms in the style of this book give 
it an appearance of greater imperfection and harshness 
than is found to characterize other parts of the New Tes- 
tament. He endeavors, it is true, to explain these in- 
accuracies, by classing them as anacolutha (ungrammatical 
sentences), or as oratio variata (confused construction) ; 
he even asserts that analogous examples may be found in 
classic Greek writers, but he nevertheless admits that they 
are not of so frequent occurrence as in the Apocalypse. 
Here, then, it is admitted in a work — the object of which 
is to show that the grammatical character of the New 
Testament is in accordance with the laws of the Greek 
language — 1. That there are examples of ungrammatical 
sentences, and confused construction, which impart to the 
style of the Apocalypse a harshness and imperfection not 
to be found in other parts of the New Testament ; and 
2. That these examples are without analogy, as to their 
number or frequency, in the Greek classics. These 
admissions are the more valued as it is so difficult to believe 
that the anomalies of the Revelation — as to their number 
at least — may be vindicated by parallel examples from 



INTRODUCTION. 9 

classic Greek authors. Even Prof. Stuart, who labors 
with great earnestness to show that John had so learned 
Greek as to seldom make a misstep in the use of it, ad- 
mits that instances of ungrammatical phrases and sentences, 
in the Apocalypse, occur more frequently than in any 
single classical writer of the Greek language. Now, it is 
these acknowledged inaccuracies of style, these palpable 
departures from the ordinary rules of syntax, so numerous 
that they may be said to pervade it, which sufficiently 
prove that the writer of this book was unaccustomed to the 
use of the Greek language, and had probably but recently 
come from Judea. 

The conclusion is irresistible, that it must have been 
written before the Gospel and Epistles of John, and of 
course considerably previous to the year of our Lord 96 
or 97. Nor would this conclusion be materially weakened 
if we were fully to admit all that some writers have con- 
tended for, who have undertaken to vindicate the grammat- 
ical character of the Apocalypse. Their vindication 
professes to go no farther than the principles of grammar 
are concerned. That the idiom is Hebraistic, that the 
meaning of some words has been changed, and that of 
others extended, and that entire Hebrew phrases are imi- 
tated, is not called in question. This Hebrew complexion, 
so prominent in the style of the Apocalypse, beyond any 
other portion of the New Testament, sufficiently proves 
that the writer of it was but recently arrived from Judea, 
and was scarcely, if at all, familiar with the classic Greek 
authors. 

Some writers have supposed that several of the apos- 
tolical epistles contain quotations from the Apocalypse ; 
e. g. the Epistle to the Hebrews, and the Second Epistle 
of Peter, So far as there is any evidence in support oi 



10 INTRODUCTION. 

this opinion, it will afford some light as to the time when 
this book was written. In proof that the apostles had 
studied it, and were familiar with its phrases, Sir Isaac 
Newton remarks that — " the style of the Epistle to the 
Hebrews became more mystical than that of Paul's other 
epistles, and the style of John's Gospel more figurative 
and majestical than that of the other gospels. I do not 
apprehend that Christ was called the Word of God in any 
book of the New Testament written before the Apocalypse, 
and therefore am of opinion the language was taken from 
this prophecy." The phrases — " clouds of witnesses," 
" author and finisher of faith," may have been suggested 
by Rev. xi. 3, 12, which describes the two witnesses, and 
their ascension to heaven in a cloud; and Rev. i. 8 — "I 
am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending." 
Heb. xii. 22 — 29; xiii. 13, 14, may furnish some ground 
for supposing that the author of the Epistle was familiar 
with the Apocalypse — particularly the passages which 
describe the New Jerusalem, and the passing away of the 
present world. 

The subject in regard to which the apostle Peter (2 
Pet. i. 19) desired lo put Christians in remembrance, was 
the coming of Christ. In this passage, it seems to be his 
object to state one of the proofs of this glorious event : — 
u We have also a more sure word of prophecy, where- 
unto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that 
shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day- 
star arise in your hearts." Is not here an obvious allusion 
to the Apocalypse ? Peter would prove that the doctrine 
of the coming of Christ, which he had advanced, was not 
a cunningly devised fable ; he, therefore, as being perfectly 
conclusive of its truth, refers to a more clear, fiefiatoTegof, 
or convincing word of prophecy — with which they were 
then favored — expressly designed more fully to predict 



INTRODUCTION. 11 

this coming, and to lead Christians confidencly to expect it. 
In the second chapter, Peter describes the false teachers 
that were to infest the church ; in the third chapter, 
Christ's coming to judgment, the conflagration of the pre- 
sent heavens and earth— he describes the new heavens and 
the new earth — all strikingly agreeing, as to imagery and 
phrases, with the Apocalypse. Paul and Peter, it is well 
known, suffered martyrdom near the close of Nero's reign. 
It was also the opinion of Sir I. Newton,* that many 
phrases in the Gospel of John were taken from this pro- 
phecy ; " such as those of Christ's being the light of the 
world, — the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the 
world, — the Bridegroom, — He that testifieth, — He that came 
down from heaven, — the Son of God." f 

But the most satisfactory evidence, in regard to the time 
when the Apocalypse was written, is that which is to be 
derived from the contents of the book itself. It bears in- 
terned evidence of having been written prior to the destruc- 
tion of Jerusalem. John represents an angel, Rev. xi. 1 
— 8, as putting into his hand a reed, and commanding him 
to measure the temple and altar of God. The only tem- 
ple of the true and living God was, and always had been, 
at Jerusalem. The angel styles it " the holy city." So 
Jerusalem was called, and is to this day, by the Jews. It 
was the seat of their sacred festivals. " And their dead 
bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spirit- 
ually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was 
crucified." To understand Jerusalem here in a figura- 
tive sense, is not necessary, on the ground that the pro- 
phecy may not otherwise be clearly and consistently inter- 
preted \ for it is the opinion of some learned annotators 

* Obs. on Apoc. c. i. p. 240. See also Warburton's Sermons. 
t See Tilloch's Dissertations. 



12 INTRODUCTION. 

that the most consistent interpretation of this book is that 
which presupposes it to have been written anterior to the 
destruction of Jerusalem. And the symbolical sense, as 
universally acknowledged, can be supposed only when the 
general scope and design can be shown to forbid the literal 
sense. 

It remains to notice a passage which much more defi- 
nitely points out the date of this book. Professor Stuart, in 
his late work, has shown from it that Nero must have been 
the sixth, and the reigning emperor of Rome, at the time the 
Apocalypse was written. The passage is Rev. xvii. 7 — 
11 ; the tenth verse reads thus: "And there are seven 
kings ; five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet 
come ; and when he cometh he must continue a short 
space." From the expression, " five are fallen, and one 
is," it would appear that this book was written during the 
reign of the sixth of the emperors of Rome. Now the 
context strikingly describes Nero, by alluding to the popu- 
lar belief, that after disappearing for a time, that emperor 
would make his appearance again, as if he had risen from 
the dead. In the eighth verse, we have the allusion to 
this popular belief, particularly in the expression, " the 
beast that was, and is not, and yet is." This beast was 
to ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition ; 
and this would greatly astonish the inhabitants of Pagan 
Rome, whose names were not written in the book of life. 
" Here is the mind which hath wisdom," or here is the 
thing which the instructed mind alone can understand. 
" The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the wo- 
man sitteth." Rome was built on seven hills. "And 
there are seven kings." Julius Cassar was regarded by the 
patriots of the commonwealth as aiming at kingly autho- 
rity ; he was at length declared perpetual Dictator, in 
consequence of which the nation was convulsed with civil 



INTRODUCTION. 13 

wars ; and he was finally assassinated as one who had 
already usurped monarchical authority. Accordingly we 
find that the ancients, although the empire was not fully 
established till the time of Augustus, reckoned from Julius 
Caesar. " Five are fallen :" Julius Caesar, Augustus, 
Tiberius, Caligula, and Claudius. " And one is :" Nero. 
" And the other is not yet come ; and when he cometh, he 
must continue a short space :" Galba, who reigned but 
seven months, makes the seventh. And then the popular 
belief in regard to Nero is again brought distinctly to 
view : " And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the 
eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition." Had 
the expectation in regard to Nero, that, after disappearing 
for a time, he would come again, been fulfilled, he would 
have been the eighth ; and he might also have been said 
to be of the seven, in allusion to the short reign of Galba, 
who is generally reckoned as one of the mock emperors. 

This popular belief in regard to Nero, was founded on 
a prediction of the soothsayers in the early part of his 
reign. Accordingly, after his death, several impostors 
appeared, professing to be Nero : and there were not want- 
ing those who, in the full expectation that he would re- 
appear and recover his power, vernis aestivisque jioribus 
tumulum ejus ornarent,* i. e. adorned his tomb with spring 
and summer flowers, with the hope, doubtless, of thus in- 
gratiating themselves into his favor. From numerous 
sources, Christian as well as pagan, Professor Stuart shows, 
how strong and wide-spread was the expectation of Nero's 
return. For information on this subject, and for the clear- 
est proof that Nero was the sixth king, I must refer the 
reader to his Commentary, vol. ii. pp. 434, seq. 

The mode of applying the passage in chapter xvii. in 
support of the theory which refers the time of the Apoca- 

* Suetonius, § 57. 
2 



14 INTRODUCTION. 

lypse to the reign of Domitian, is as follows : The seven 
kings represent the seven hills of Rome, merely to charac- 
terize them as kingly or princely hills. The ten horns 
represent the number of sovereigns that had ruled in Rome. 
That five of her seven kings (which are so many magnifi- 
cent hills) are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come, 
etc., merely represents " the condition of Rome as not yet 
having reached its acme in external greatness, but never- 
theless wasting away in its internal strength." As the 
horns are made to represent the number of emperors 
that had already borne sway in Rome, it is concluded that 
the visions were seen under Domitian. This interpreta- 
tion is exceedingly lame. It confounds the seven heads 
with the seven kings. It is directly contradictory to the 
text, which asserts that the ten horns are ten kings, " which 
have received no kingdom as yet." And it is historically 
false, in representing that Rome had not reached the sum- 
mit of its greatness previous to the reign of Domitian. 
Other writers who, for the most part, have held to the 
same interpretation, have departed from it in some parti- 
culars, understanding by " the beast that was, and is not, 
and yet is," the Roman empire, idolatrous under the hea- 
then emperors, then ceasing to be for some time, under the 
Christian emperors, and then becoming idolatrous again, 
under the Roman pontiffs ; and by " the ten horns," the 
ten kingdoms, into which the Roman empire was divided 
after it became Christian. We willingly put the two me- 
thods of applying the passage side by side, and let the can- 
did reader judge for himself as to which looks the most 
consistent and rational. 

The objection to fixing the date of this book in the time 
of Nero, on the ground that the persecution of Nero did 
not extend to the provinces of the Roman empire, and 
therefore could not have reached the seven churches of 



INTRODUCTION. 15 

Asia, does not appear to be well founded. To avert pub- 
lic odium from himself, Nero charged the crime of firing 
the city o f Rome on the Christians, and commenced one 
of the most sanguinary persecutions on record. Many 
thousands are supposed to have perished at Rome. Lard- 
ner cites Orosius (a historian contemporary with Augus- 
tine) to show that this persecution extended to the pro- 
vinces : Primus Romae Christianos suppliciis et mortibus 
afFecit ; ac per omnes provincias pari persecutione excru- 
ciari imperavit. — Oros. vii. 7, p. 473. That is, " he 
(Nero) first punished and put to death Christians at Rome, 
and then commanded that a similar persecution should be 
carried on against them throughout all the provinces. " It 
would be easy to cite the testimony of other ancient writers 
to the same effect. There can be no doubt that the Nero- 
nian persecution spread throughout the empire ; and doubt- 
less it would be prosecuted with the greatest rigor in the 
cities of Asia Minor, where the labors of the apostles had 
been so signally successful. 

It has also been objected, that the seven churches of 
Asia Minor were not founded so early as this opinion pre- 
supposes ; in other words, that at the time of Nero they 
had not been founded a sufficient period to have undergone 
" such changes and revolutions as the epistles to them in 
this book represent them to have done." Taking the date 
of Paul's first visit to Ephesus, A.D. 54, as the period of 
their establishment, they had been in existence some ten 
or twelve years when the revelation contained in this book 
was recorded. And as for "changes and revolutions," 
these were of a moral kind, and such as resulted from the 
false teaching of heretics, and that declension in piety, 
which, under such circumstances, might be apprehended 
in the case of persons so recently converted from idola- 
trous systems of religion. 



16 INTRODUCTION. 

Such is the evidence that the Apocalypse was written 
before the destruction of Jerusalem, probably in the reign 
of the emperor Nero, between A.D. 64 and A.D. 68. 

ITS DESIGN. 

This book was written, as universally admitted, in a 
time of severe persecution. From this circumstance, as 
well as from some of its express passages, its design may 
be readily ascertained. 

The writer of it was an exile for the word of God, and 
for the testimony of Jesus Christ, or had but recently re- 
turned from banishment. The blood of the ministers and 
disciples of Christ was flowing throughout the dominions of 
the impious Nero. This truly was a fit occasion for Him 
who walketh amidst the golden candlesticks, to make 
known things which must shortly come to pass. The 
predictions of our Saviour in regard to the destruction of 
Jerusalem, w r ere on the eve of being accomplished. The 
Jews, exasperated by their oppressions, would more vio- 
lently engage in the work of persecution. Pagan Rome, 
in the person of the infamous Nero, had already taken up 
the sword. It was under these circumstances that the 
apostle addressed his companions " in tribulation, and in 
the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ," and said, 
" Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words 
of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written 
therein ; for the time is at hand" The great design of 
this book, then, was to console, and to support the faith of 
God's afflicted people. As if the writer of it had said : 
" Fear not ; the time of your deliverance is near. The 
persecuting powers under which you now suffer — the 
Jewish and the Pagan — will soon be destroyed. Hold 
fast that which thou hast received, that no man take thy 



INTRODUCTION. 17 

crown. Behold I come quickly. And although other 
enemies may arise in future times, they are all destined 
to the same overthrow, when Christ shall reign in glory 
for evermore." 

In a word, it is the design of the Apocalypse to teach 
the ultimate triumph of the Gospel over all opposition, sin, 
and error. " The prophecy of the Revelation," says Dan- 
buz, " was designed that when men should suffer for the 
name of Christ, they might here find some consolation, 
both for themselves and the Church ; for themselves, by 
the prospect and certainty of a reward ; for the Church, 
by the testimony that Christ never forsakes it, but will con- 
quer at last." " The book of the Apocalypse," remarks 
Dr. Adam Clarke, " may be considered as a Prophet, 
continued in the Church of God, uttering predictions, 
relative to all times, which have their successive fulfil- 
ment as ages roll on ; and thus it stands in the Christian 
church, in the place of the succession of prophets in the 
Jewish church ; and by this special economy prophecy is 
still continued, is always speaking, and yet a succession 
of prophets rendered unnecessary." 

In the first part of the Apocalypse it is repeatedly de- 
clared, that the time was at hand for the series of predic- 
tions it contained to be fulfilled. And in the conclusion, 
or what may be termed the epilogue of the book, this is 
again asserted. Three times we have these words, "I 
come quickly." The churches to v/hich John was sent to 
testify were the seven churches of Asia. They were suf- 
fering persecution. Accordingly this prophecy reveals 
the power of Jesus Christ, the Prince of the kings of the 
earth, as about to be employed to bring to a speedy end 
the persecutions by which the people of God were then 
oppressed. But it not only reveals the destruction of the 

2* 



18 INTRODUCTION. 

particular persecuting powers which oppressed the churches 
of Asia Minor, but of every other that might arise in future 
times, till the day of complete and final victory. Hence 
the great theme of the Apocalypse is the coming of Jesus 
Christ to this world, in compassion to his people, and judg- 
ment on his foes — and, after the destruction of all the anti- 
christian powers that may arise in different ages of the 
world, and the church has enjoyed a long season of unex- 
ampled prosperity, his final coming to raise the dead, and 
judge the righteous and the wicked. So that this book 
might be entitled, not inappropriately, The Book of the 
coming of Jesus Christ. The New Testament informs us 
of a twofold appearance or coming of Christ. One, his 
appearing in the flesh, was visible. The other, or second, 
relates to the preservation, propagation, and consumma- 
tion of his kingdom. This second coming is partly invisi- 
ble, as when he punishes the incorrigibly wicked, as in the 
instance of the destruction of Jerusalem, or as when he in- 
terposes for his sincere followers, and grants them the light 
and comfort of his presence. And it is partly visible ; 
that is, Christ at the end of the world will thus appear, to 
raise the dead, and pass the irreversible sentence of judg- 
ment on every man. Now it is this second, partly visible 
and partly invisible coming of Christ, which this book re-, 
veals, and which should never be lost sight of, if we would 
have it said of us, " Blessed is he that readeth, and they 
that hear the words. of this prophecy, and keep those things 
which are written therein." 

In the particular messages to the seven churches, the 
writer of this book has two objects in view — their rebuke, 
and their consolation or encouragement. They are ex- 
horted to fear none of those things which they were to 
suffer : " Behold I come quickly ; hold that fast which 
thou hast." " That which ye have already, hold fast till I 



INTRODUCTION. 19 

come." " I will come unto thee quickly." " I will come 
on thee as a thief." "Behold I stand at the door and 
knock." While He thus endeavours to fortify the minds of 
the faithful under their tribulations, by the assurance that 
He would speedily come, He warns such as had fallen into 
a state of spiritual declension to prepare for His coming by* 
repenting, returning to their first love, and doing their first 
works. 

The book with seven seals is a symbolical representa- 
tion of the whole prophecy contained in the Apocalypse. 
In the first six seals, we have a prediction of the signs 
and calamities that were to precede the coming of Christ 
at the destruction of Jerusalem, and of its final overthrow. 
This was that coming to which the persecuted Christians, 
whose " brother and companion in tribulation" John styles 
himself, were directed then immediately to look forward. 
The time was near at hand. John was commissioned to 
show unto God's servants things which were shortly to 
come to pass. Persecution succeeded persecution ; and 
all who acknowledged themselves Christians were exposed 
to every species of cruelty. The promise, " Behold I 
come quickly," encouraged the prayer, " Even so, come, 
Lord Jesus ;" " come for the deliverance of thy persecuted 
people." This entreaty was now entering into the ears of 
the Lord God of Sabaoth ; and He who was crucified was 
about to come, whilst those who pierced Him were alive, 
and might see Him, and feel His avenging power. " The 
great and dreadful day of the Lord," foretold by the pro- 
phets, when God would make a complete end of a rebel- 
lious nation, gory with the blood of the Messiah and His 
faithful martyrs, was at hand. 

The prophet next proceeds to predict the destruction of 
the pagan persecuting power. The great red dragon, with 
seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his 



20 INTRODUCTION. 

heads, was a symbol of pagan Rome. He is represented 
as standing before " the woman/' i. e. the church ; as 
" wroth" with her, as persecuting her, and going to make 
war with the remnant of her seed. These expressions 
evidently refer to the bloody persecutions of Christians 
under Nero, Domitian, and other emperors of Rome. The 
cruelties of the odious tyrant Nero, are said to have ex- 
ceeded all his other extravagances. The persecution 
which he waged against Christians was not confined to the 
city of Rome, but extended over the whole empire. The 
apostle Paul, and probably Peter, fell. John, who had 
taken up his residence in Asia Minor, was banished to a 
desert island in the iEgean Sea. But at length " a mor- 
tal arrow " reached the infamous persecutor. The reigns 
of successive emperors were signalized by persecutions 
equally sanguinary. During the ten persecutions, rivers 
of blood were made to flow. The last is said to have ex- 
ceeded in severity all that had gone before it. But the 
promise, " Behold I come," sustained the faith of God's 
people. " If any man have an ear, let him hear." At 
the very period of the Dioclesian persecution, Christianity 
was advancing more rapidly than ever to the overthrow of 
paganism. The prayer, " Come, Lord Jesus, come quick- 
ly," pierced the heavens, and those pagan foes that had 
led God's people into captivity, were made captives ; and 
those who had killed them with the sword, fell by the same 
weapon. The pagan enemies of God and his Church were 
as remarkably punished and tormented as they had tor- 
mented others. The prediction of this overthrow was a 
part of that revelation which John was commissioned to 
make to those who were his companions in tribulation. 
Such was their consolation, and the consolation of their 
brethren who came after, during the general persecutions 
carried on by the Roman emperors ; and such at 



INTRODUCTION. 21 

length was the reward of the faith and patience of the 
saints. 

The prophet, having completed his description of the 
advent of Christ to destroy the Jewish and pagan perse- 
cuting powers, proceeds next to predict His coming to de- 
stroy a persecuting power, which would not be developed 
until long after the Christians, for whose consolation he 
immediately wrote, had been called from the present stage 
of action. But this, nevertheless, would serve to fortify 
their minds, because the assurance that God would destroy 
future enemies, would be a proof of His unchanging love to 
His Church. And it has actually served to support the 
faith of a multitude of God's people, in different ages, to 
the present hour. That same Saviour, who has come 
once and again for the destruction of error and of enemies, 
will fulfil all His word in due time, and great Babylon 
shall come into remembrance before God ; and He will 
"double unto her double, according to her works ;" her 
plagues shall come in one day, and she shall be utterly 
burned with fire. And whilst those who have been en- 
riched " by reason of her costliness" shall bewail her, a 
great voice of much people shall be heard in heaven, re- 
joicing over her, worshipping God, saying, amen, ALLE- 
LUIA. He that is " called Faithful and True," whose 
eyes are as a flame of fire, and on whose head are many 
crowns, will ride forth, leading His redeemed to the last 
conflict with anti-christian powers. The battle ensues ; 
the beast is taken, and with him the false prophet, and are 
" cast alive into the lake of fire, burning with brimstone." 
The power of the pope will be suddenly and awfully 
broken, and no doubt by judgments, and the popish reli- 
gion destroyed ; and then those, or many of them, who had 
received the mark of the beast, and worshipped his image, 
shall be slain by the sword of Him whose name is the 



22 INTRODUCTION. 

Word of God, which sword proceedeth out of His mouth. 
That is, they shall be converted, by the Holy Spirit accom- 
panying the truth of the Gospel, to be the true and humble 
disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

The book of the Apocalypse, which we are to consider 
as a Prophet, always speaking in the church of God, at 
length foretells the appearing of Christ to bind Satan and 
cast him into the bottomless pit. From this, we are to 
understand the complete arrest of Satanic influence to 
follow upon the destruction of anti-christian powers. 
This suspension of Satanic agency, and the consequent 
reign of righteousness and peace, it is foretold, will con- 
tinue a thousand years. JESUS will then be present, and 
will reign on earth. At the expiration of the thousand 
years, Satan is to be liberated, and will go forth to deceive 
the nations. Gog and Magog denote the multitude that 
will be deceived by him. He shall gather them together 
for battle. Their defeat and destruction are then foretold, 
together with the finishing stroke to the agency of Satan 
in the world. The devil shall be cast into the lake of fire, 
to be tormented forever. The great Being, from whose 
face the earth and the heaven shall flee away, will sit on 
His great white throne — visible in this, His final coming, to 
all the dead and the quick, small and great. The books 
will be opened, and every one judged out of the things 
written in the books, according to their works. The 
righteous will be received up into glory, and whosoever is 
not found written in the book of life will be cast into the 
lake of fire. 



THE APOCALYPSE AS A PRACTICAL BOOK. 

Relating, as it does, to one of the most solemn and 
important of all subjects — the coming of the Lord Jesus 



INTRODUCTION. 23 

to this world to confirm, preserve, and consummate His 
kingdom — its tendency must be eminently practical. A 
persecuted church may justly regard it as the richest 
treasure ; for its voice to those who are oppressed for 
righteousness' sake, is, " Fear not, I will come quickly. 55 
And what encouragement may be derived from its glorious 
disclosures relative to the future triumph of pure and un- 
ci efiled religion ! It most fully teaches that there is nothing 
visionary in the idea that this world is to be subjected to 
the authority of King Jesus. The book of Revelation es- 
pecially affords encouragement with reference to those 
nations in which the propagation of the pure faith of the 
Gospel is embarrassed ; and at present, perhaps, wholly 
interdicted, by the power of the Man of sin. It is evident 
that greater difficulties seem to oppose the progress of 
Christ's cause in Roman Catholic than in Pagan countries. 
The conquest of the world to Jesus Christ, so far as the 
heathen nations are concerned, would probably be regard- 
ed as comparatively easy ; it is in Roman Catholic coun- 
tries that we naturally anticipate, and do actually encoun- 
ter, the greatest difficulty. Hence, to support the faith of 
His people, it seemed to be necessary that God should give 
in His word great prominence to the predictions which re- 
late to the overthrow of the papal superstition. Although 
hoary with , age, and the very master-piece of Satan, it 
must fall. The Papacy may, from time to time, appear 
to be instinct with new life, and to assume somewhat of 
the vigor of a recent fanaticism. The emissaries of Rome 
may follow fast in the footsteps of Protestant missionaries, 
and come up like an invading army. But we know that 
He, whose name is the Word of God, will soon make bare 
His holy arm ; and the voice of the angel, having great 
power, will be heard to cry, " Babylon, the great is fallen 
— is fallen. 55 Our duty, whilst we remain in the vine- 



24 INTRODUCTION. 

yard, is to continue in believing prayer, and do all in our 
power to forestall and defeat the efforts of the Man of sin, 
and every other anti-christian compact and enterprise, that 
when they fall we may participate in the song of triumph 
which shall reverberate over a renovated world. As the 
Christians to whom John wrote might entreat the Lord to 
come quickly for their deliverance from Jewish and Pagan 
persecutors, and for His own glory in advancing His king- 
dom, so it is the privilege, as well as the duty, of the 
church now, to unite in the prayer — " Come, Lord Jesus ; 
come and subdue every foe, ecclesiastical or civil, that 
dares to raise the hand of rebellion against Thy righteous 
sway." 

This book most emphatically teaches that the coming 
of Christ's kingdom should be the object of intense desire 
to the people of God. Believers, in view of the supersti- 
tion, idolatry, false religion, and unbelief, which prevail 
in the world, should never faint in their prayers that the 
reign of Christ may speedily commence. The second 
coming of Christ has always, ever since he first promised, 
" Behold I come quickly," been at hand. For two thou- 
sand years the church has been looking out for the coming 
of Christ; nor has she looked in vain. Scripture would 
lead us to be ever expecting Christ ; and there has always 
been something present in the world, as some have thought, 
to warrant the expectation. Christ has always been ex- 
pected by his people ; and while some who have thought 
they saw symptoms of His coming to judgment have been 
disappointed, others, who have desired His spiritual pre- 
sence, and have interpreted the providential events of their 
own times by the light of divine truth, have felt that their 
prayers for His advent were not unanswered. Nor will 
those who wait for His coming now, to make the desert 
rejoice and blossom as the rose, look in vain. " Signs of 



INTRODUCTION. 25 

the white horses" are even now appearing — bright sig- 
nals herald His approach. 

This book also addresses a most solemn admonition to 
churches and to Christians that have fallen into error and 
a state of religious declension. It calls upon them, as it 
did certain of the churches of Asia Minor, to repent and 
do the first works, lest Christ, coming suddenly, should re- 
move their candlestick out of his place. It warns those 
against whom only a few misdeeds can be alleged, to pre- 
pare, by repentance, for the sudden coming of Christ. It 
admonishes those who do not watch, that He will come on 
them as a thief. O, how sad for a Christian, whilst in a 
lukewarm, backslidden state, regardless of providential 
indications, to be surprised by the coming and presence 
of the Lord ! How offensive to the Saviour ! He rebukes all 
who are in this state ; He chastens them ; He commands 
them to repent. He invites them by the proffer of His favor : 
" Behold I stand at the door and knock : if any man hear 
my voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and 
will sup with him, and he with me." It is not enough 
that Christians use the form of the petition, " Thy kingdom 
come," if not possessed of the spirit of Him who came 
down from heaven to seek and save that which was lost. 
An intense desire to have His reign commence, who paid 
the ransom, will lead us to give some practical, tangible 
evidence, that our hearts are crying out within us for the 
coming of the Lord with grace and power. 

We find, moreover, in the Apocalypse, ground for the 
most solemn appeal to the impenitent and unbelieving. 
The coming of Christ is made the ground of a most ear- 
nest entreaty to them to prepare for it, by coming to Him 
with faith. " The Spirit and the Bride say, Come. And 
let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is 
athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water 

3 



26 INTRODUCTION. 

of life freely." This passage, rightly interpreted, is ani- 
mating, and even highly poetical. In the context, the Son 
of God, the Divine Revealer, is the speaker. He repeats 
the solemn assurance, so often made, "Behold I come 
quickly.' 5 Jesus then personates the Spirit and the Bride, 
or He ceases for a moment to be the speaker, and in the 
pause, the Spirit and the Bride, and all that love his ap- 
pearing, and wait with longing desire for the advent of 
their Lord, take up his oft-repeated word, Come, and echo 
it back to His throne. First, the Holy Spirit speaks, and 
says to the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright 
and Morning Star, Come. In this prayer, the Bride, the 
ransomed Church, purified by her trials, will join, say- 
ing, " Come, Lord Jesus." But it ought to be noticed, 
that this prayer, in its full and complete sense, as calling 
upon the Lord to come in the clouds of heaven and wind 
up sublunary affairs, and enter on His everlasting kingdom, 
is not to be offered till the prophets are fulfilled, the morn- 
ing of the resurrection is about to dawn, and the Son of 
Man visibly to reappear. When that day arrives, the 
Bride, ready for her espousals, will speak out with the 
Spirit, and say, " Come, my Lord, make haste, my^ Be- 
loved." And while she is yet speaking, the opening gates 
of heaven shall reveal her Fair One coming with ten thou- 
sand of His saints. " And let him that heareth say, Come." 
That is, let him that heareth the call of the Spirit and the 
Bride unite therein, for this prayer will be a sure token 
that the Bridegroom cometh, and that He is even at the 
door. Let all who hear it arise and trim their lamps, and 
go forth to meet Him. And then what an argument is de- 
rived from this last prayer to urge an unbelieving world 
to make immediate preparation for the approach of the 
great Prince of the kings of the earth. Before it shall go 
up from earth, let him that is athirst for the water of life, 



INTRODUCTION. 27 

and whosoever will, come and partake of it freely. For 
on the first appearance of the Son of man in the clouds of 
heaven, the dispensation of the Spirit will close, and the 
day of grace will be for ever at an end. But although 
the full and complete sense of this prayer to the Lord 
Jesus refers to His visible coming to j udgment, it is, at the 
same time, true that the prayers of God's people, and the 
supplications of the interceding Spirit, that the latter day 
glory may be ushered in, furnish a ground for the most 
urgent appeal to sinful men to attend to their eternal in- 
terests. It was a warning to the inhabitants of Jerusalem 
and pagan Rome, to repent and betake themselves to the 
water of life, when the early Christians patiently submitted 
to persecution, evincing the fullest confidence in the speedy 
coming of their Deliverer. And hath not God promised 
to give to His Son the heathen for his inheritance ? This 
promise can not fail. His kingdom will come. The Gos- 
pel day draws near. Do not the Spirit and the Bride say, 
" Come 1 " Does not every true child of God, whether 
within or without the pale of the visible church, on hear- 
ing the cry, say, " Come ; come, Lord Jesus ? " O then, 
let him that is athirst come ; and whosoever will, let him 
partake of the water of life freely. , Let every man who 
would share in the glories of Christ's kingdom on earth, or 
rejoice over them in heaven, take up the word, in response 
to the Saviour's warning, and the church's prayer, and 
say, " Lo, I come ; I come to thee, Lamb of God ! take 
away my sins, and remember me when Thou comest into 
Thy kingdom." 



ANALYSIS OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION. 

PART FIRST. 
THE INTRODUCTION CHAPS. I.— III. 

1. The title of the book, ch. i. 1-3. 

2. Dedication to the seven churches, ch. i. 4-8. 

3. A vision of the Son of man, ch. i. 9-16. 

4. Plan of the book prescribed, ch. i. 17-20. 

5. Epistles to the seven churches, chs. ii. iii. 

PART SECOND. 

JEWISH PERSECUTIONS, AND THE DESTRUCTION OF THAT 
POWER CHAPS. IV.-XI. 1-14. 

1. Preparatory vision, ch. iv. 

2. A sealed book, an emblem of the prophecy, revealed 
to John, delivered to the Lamb, ch. v. 

3. The first seal opened, ch. vi. 1, 2. 

4. The second seal, ch. vi. 3, 4. 

5. The third seal, ch. vi. 5, 6. 

6. The fourth seal, ch. vi. 7, 8. 

7. The fifth seal, ch. vi. 9-11. 

8. The sixth seal, ch. vi. 12-17 ; ch. vii. 

9. The seventh seal, chs. viii.-xxii. 

10. Seven trumpets given to seven angels, ch. viii. 1-6. 

11. The first trumpet sounded, ch. viii. 7. 

12. The second trumpet, ch. viii. 8, 9. 

13. The third trumpet, ch. viii. 10, 11. 

14. The fourth trumpet, ch. viii. 12. 

15. The fifth trumpet, or first wo, ch. ix, 1-12. 



INTRODUCTION. 29 

16. The sixth trumpet, or second wo— the destruction 
of the Jewish nation completed, ch. ix. 13-21. — ch. xi. 
1-14. 

PART THIRD. 

PAGAN PERSECUTIONS, AND THE END OF THE PAGAN PER- 
SECUTING POWER — CHAPS. XI. 15. XIII. 10. 

1. The seventh trumpet, ch. xi. 15; ch. xxii. 

2. The Church of Christ, under the figure of a woman 
persecuted by the " great red dragon/ 5 i. e. Pagan Rome, 
ch. xii. 

3. The beast with seven heads and ten horns, an em- 
blem of the Roman empire, ch. xiii. 1-8. 

4. The Pagan persecuting power destroyed, ch. xiii. 10. 

PART FOURTH. 

PAPAL PERSECUTIONS AND ERRORS, AND THEIR END 

[CHAPS. XIII. 11. XIX. 

1. The beast with two horns, like a lamb, a symbol 
representing Papal Rome, ch. xiii. 11-14. 

2. Succeeds to the dominion and tyranny of Pagan 
Rome, ch. xiii. 15-17. 

3. The name of this beast in numerals, ch. xiii. 18. 

4. A vision of the Lamb on Mount Zion, ch. xiv. 1-5. 

5. A symbolical representation of the triumph of the 
Gospel, ch. xiv. 6, 7. 

6. Judgments on Papal Rome, ch. xiv. 8-20. 

7. Seven vials of the last plagues delivered to seven 
angels, ch. xv. 

8. The angels commanded to pour them out, ch. xvi. 1. 

9. The first vial poured out, ch. xvi. 2. 
10. The second vial, ch. xvi. 3. 

3* 



30 INTRODUCTION. 

11. The third vial, ch. xvi. 4-7. 

12. The fourth vial, ch. xvi. 8, 9. 

13. The fifth vial, ch. xvi. 10, 11. 

14. The sixth vial, ch. xvi. 12-16. 

15. The seventh vial, ch. xvi. 17. — ch. xix. 

16. Minute account of the abominations, impostures, 
and cruelty of the Church of Rome, and its final over- 
throw, chs. xvii.-xix. 

PART FIFTH. 

LATTER DAY GLORY ; BATTLE OF GOG AND MAGOG ; FINAL 
JUDGMENT ; HEAVENLY STATE CHAPS. XX.-XXII. 

1. The Millennium, ch. xx. 1-6. 

2. Satan liberated, the battle of Gog and Magog, and 
the end of Satan's power, ch. xx. 7-10. 

3. The Day of Judgment, ch. xx. 11-15. 

4. The heavenly state, ch. xxi.-xxii. 1-5. 

5. The epilogue, ch. xxii. 6-21. 



THE BOOK OF REVELATION. 



PART FIRST 



THE INTRODUCTION— CHAPS. I.-III . 

CHAPTER I. 

1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to 
shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass ; and 

2 he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John : Who 
bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus 

3 Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, 
and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things 

4 which are written therein: for the time is at hand. John to the 
seven churches which are in Asia : Grace be unto you, and peace, 
from him which is, and which was, and which is to come ; and frorn 

5 the seven Spirits which are before his throne: And from Jesus 
Christ, who is the faithful Witness, and the First-begotten of the 
dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved 

6 us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood. And hath 
made us kings and priests unto God and his Father : to him be glory 

7 and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Behold, he cometh with 
clouds ; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced 
him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even 

8 so, Amen. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, 
saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the 
Almighty. 

The title of the book is here given, viz., The Revela- 
tion, or Apocalypse of Jesus Christ. Its prophetical 



32 REVELATION. 

character is distinctly stated. The name of the writer is 
then given ; and, as if to prevent mistake as to the indivi- 
dual, and distinguish him from others bearing the same 
name, he is described as one who had been engaged in the 
proclamation of the Gospel. The language, who bare re- 
cord of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus 
Christ, and of all things that he saw, appears to be descrip- 
tive of that apostle John, who had written and published a 
narrative of Jesus Christ, and epistles containing the doc- 
trines He taught. Reasons have been stated, in the intro- 
duction to this work, in support of the opinion that the 
Gospel and Epistles of John were written earlier than the 
Apocalypse. If those reasons have weight, the most 
natural interpretation that can be given to the language in 
question, is to refer it to the " record of the word of God" 
by John, in these former writings. 

The blessing pronounced on the hearers and readers of 
this prophecy, clearly imports that the leading design of 
this book was to comfort the people of God. The seven 
churches — situated in Asia Minor or proconsular Asia — to 
whom it was originally dedicated and addressed, were 
suffering persecution, and therefore needed consolation. 
Then follows such a description of our Lord as was well 
calculated to inspire confidence in Him as able to fulfil the 
word He was about to reveal. As a faithful witness, His 
testimony was worthy of unshaken reliance ; as the First- 
begotten of the dead, who had power to lay down His life 
and to take it again, He possessed power to perform all the 
wonders about to be foretold ; and as the Prince of the 
kings of the earth, He could overturn every empire opposed 
to Him, and establish His own on its ruins. How could He 
who had so loved His people as to give His own blood to 
wash them from their sins, after all leave them to be des- 
troyed by His enemies ? No ; having raised them to the 



CHAPTER I. 33 

dignity of being kings and priests unto God, He would at 
length give them complete victory, and cause them to reign 
with Him forevermore. In such a Being, well might the 
apostle, and the believers whom he addressed, have implicit 
confidence ; and well might they address to Him divine 
honors — the glory and dominion of the everlasting God. 

The prophet then solemnly announces the second coming 
of Christ — "Behold He cometh;" and adds a prayer for 
His advent — Even so, amen. The book ends with the 
same prayer, " I come quickly, amen. Even so, come, 
Lord Jesus." The prayer of the apostle is immediately 
responded to by the Revealer, the Alpha and the Omega, 
with the assurance, — I am He which is, and which was, 
and which is to come. It is not for a moment to be lost 
sight of, that the coming of Christ is the all-important 
theme to which this Revelation refers. 

9 I, John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, 
and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle 
that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony 

10 of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard 

11 behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet. Saying, I am Alpha and 
Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a 
book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto 
Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thya- 
tira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. 

12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being 

13 turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks ; And in the midst of the 
seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a 
garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden 

14 girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as 

15 snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire: And his feet like unto 
fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace ; and his voice as the 

16 sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars : 
and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword : and his 

17 countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. And when I 
saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon 

18 me, saying unto me. Fear not ; I am the first and the last : / am 



34 REVELATION. 

he that liveth, and was dead ; and behold, I am alive for evermore, 

19 Amen ; and have the keys of hell and of death. Write the things 
which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things 

20 which shall be hereafter ; The mystery of the seven stars which 
thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. 
The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches : and the seven 
candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. 

The expression " brother and companion in tribulation," 
which John applies to himself, shows that he was a sharer 
in those persecutions from which his brethren, whom he 
addressed, were suffering. He had been banished from 
the provinces of the Roman empire, on account of his zeal 
in spreading abroad the knowledge of Jesus Christ. The 
place of his exile was a small island in the iEgean Sea, 
named Patmos, now called Patmosa. Here, in this desert 
place, on the Lord's Day, i. e. the Christian Sabbath, he 
heard the voice of the Alpha and Omega, commanding him 
to write what he saw in a book, and to send it to seven 
churches in Asia, the names of which were designated. 
Then follows a sublime description of our Lord, as He ap- 
peared in the vision which was granted to John. He saw 
seven golden candlesticks, and in the midst of them One 
like unto the Son of man. He had in His right hand 
seven stars, and His countenance was as the sun shineth 
in his strength. John was overpowered by the vision, and 
fell at His feet as dead. But his fear was quelled by his 
being assured that this great Being, who now appeared in 
such glorious majesty, was the same who died on the cross, 
on whose bosom "the beloved disciple" had once been 
permitted to lean. What emotions must have been awak- 
ened in the apostle's mind by the expression — I am He 
that liveth and was dead ! Being reassured, he was com- 
manded to write — 1. The things which he had seen ; i. e. 
the vision of the Son of man, conferring on him the au- 



CHAPTER I. 35 

thority he assumes in this book as a prophet. 2. The 
things which are; i. e. the present state of the church, 
particularly its dangers, and the existing state of the Jew- 
ish and Pagan world. 3. The things that shall be here- 
after ; i. e. the destruction of anti-Christian powers, and 
the future state of the church. This very natural division 
of this book is proof that it was not written without a 
method or plan. No book, in the whole Scripture, will be 
found to be more methodical than the Apocalypse. 



CHAPTER II. 

1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write: These things 
saithhe that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh 

2 in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks ; I know thy works, 
and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them 
which are evil : and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, 

3 and are not ; and hast found them liars : And hast borne, and hast 
patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. 

4 Nevertheless, I have samewhat against thee, because thou hast left 

5 thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and 
repent, and do the first works : or else I will come unto thee quickly, 
and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. 

6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, 

7 which I also hate. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the 
Spirit saith unto the churches ; To him that overcometh will I give 
to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of 
God. 

This and the succeeding chapter, are entirely taken up 
with the special epistles to the seven churches of Asia. 
These churches were situated in the province of Lydia, 
to the east of the iEgean Sea. They are supposed to have 
been planted by the apostle Paul and his associates. It is 
not impossible, however, that — upon the dispersion of 
Christians which took place at the death of Stephen — a 
knowledge of Christianity might have been carried into 
these parts. From the proximity of the places, it is 
natural to infer that they were all established at about the 
same time. At the time John addressed them, some of 
these churches, it appears, had fallen into a corrupt and 
lukewarm state, especially those at Sardis, Thyatira, and 
Laodicea. But the apostle does not address equally severe 
rebuke to those at Ephesus and Pergamos ; and he ad- 



CHAPTER II. 37 

dresses nothing but commendation to those at Smyrna and 
Philadelphia. It is obvious from his epistles, that they 
were all of them exposed to, or actually suffering perse- 
cution. He exhorts them to continue steadfast in that 
which was true and good, to reject false teachers, and to 
repent of the sins into which they had fallen : and with 
these exhortations are mingled such consolations as might 
be drawn from the certainty of their speedy deliverance. 

To the church at Ephesus, John is directed by Him who 
holdeth the seven stars, and walketh in the midst of the 
golden candlesticks, to address words of rebuke, as well 
as commendation. They had forsaken their first love. 
Perhaps it had been the effect of the tribulations which 
vexed them to embitter their spirits. The apostle exhorts 
them to repent, and he makes the speedy coming of Christ 
the ground for enforcing his exhortation. He urges them 
to persevere by the promise of everlasting felicity in the 
paradise of God. 

8 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna, write ; These things 

9 saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive: I know 
thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich,) and / 
know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, 

10 but are the synagogue of Satan. Fear none of those things which 
thou shalt suffer. Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into 
prison, that ye may be tried ; and ye shall have tribulation ten days. 
Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. 

11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the 
churches; He that overcometh, shall not be hurt of the second 
death. 

The living Redeemer, who claims to be the First and 
the Last — that is, the Almighty — able to fulfil his promises, 
and accomplish his threatenings, assures believers at 
Smyrna, that He was well acquainted with their works, 
their tribulation, and their poverty. He knew, also, the 
hypocrisy and blasphemy of those who professed to belong 

4 



38 REVELATION. 

to the true Israel, who were the agents in persecuting at 
that particular time. He exhorts His servants not to yield 
to despondency, in view of their sufferings, or the more 
trying ones that awaited them. Some of them were to be 
cast into prison, for a short time. The approaching Sa- 
viour exhorts them not to shrink even from martyrdom it- 
self; and holds out to the faithful a crown of life. They 
might suffer the martyr's death, but the second death could 
never inflict any injury on them. 

12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write ; These things 

13 saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges ; I know thy 
works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is : and 
thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in 
those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain 

14 among you, where Satan dwelleth. But I have a few things against 
thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, 
who taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the children of 
Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. 

15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, 

16 which thing I hate. Repent ; or else I will come unto thee quickly, 

17 and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. He that 
hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches : 
To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and 
will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name, written, 
which no man knoweth, saving he that receiveth it 

Pergamos, it would appear, was a place of exceeding 
wickedness. Satan is represented as holding his court 
there. The meaning is, that he was peculiarly successful 
in exciting men to hatred and crimes. Antipas, a Chris- 
tian disciple, had suffered the death of a faithful martyr. 
Heresy had gained a footing in the church ; there were 
some who held the doctrine of Balaam, and some who held 
the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes — doctrines that were of an 
exceedingly corrupt and licentious nature. True religion 
was, consequently, in a very low and languishing condi- 



CHAPTER II. 39 

tion. The members of the church are, therefore, solemnly- 
warned — by Him who hath the sharp sword with two 
edges — that unless they speedily repented, He would come 
and fight against them. But to all who should remain 
faithful, in spite of surrounding evil influences, and thus 
overcome spiritual enemies, a promise is made of everlast- 
ing victory and reward in heaven. The coming of Christ, 
whilst it was a source of consolation to sincere believers, 
conveyed a most fearful warning to those who had embra- 
ced pernicious doctrines, and fallen into vicious practices. 

18 And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write ; These things 
saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, 

19 and his feet are like fine brass ; I know thy works, and charity, 
and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last 

20 to be more than the first. Notwithstanding, I have a few things 
against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which 
calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to 

21 commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I 
gave her space to repent of her fornication, and she repented not. 

22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery 
with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. 

23 And I will kill her children with death ; and all the churches shall 
know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts : and I 

24 will give unto every one of you according to your works. But 
unto you, I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, As many as have not 
this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as 

25 they speak; I will put upon you none other burden: But that 

26 which ye have already, hold fast till I come. And he that over- 
cometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give 

27 power over the nations ; And he shall rule them with a rod of 
iron ; (as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers ;) 

28 even as I received of my Father. And I will give him the morning- 

29 star. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto 
the churches. 

By " that woman Jezebel" seems to be meant a person 
who had been permitted to promulgate doctrines of a very- 
evil tendency, similar to those which prevailed, to some 



40 REVELATION. 

extent, at Ephesus and Pergamos. The destruction of 
this woman and of her disciples is foretold ; and those who 
had remained faithful in the church are exhorted to con- 
tinue in their faith, charity, and patience, till the coming 
of Christ. The exhortation, hold fast till I come, is en- 
forced by the promise that the persecuting powers should 
be overthrown, even as an earthen vessel is shivered when 
struck by a rod of iron, and that all those in the church 
who remained steadfast to the end of life, should be exalted 
to honor and resplendent glory in heaven. 



CHAPTER III. 

1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write ; These things 
saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars ; I 
know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. 

2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready 

3 to die : for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remem- 
ber, therefore, how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and 
repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a 
thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. 

4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not denied their 
garments ; and they shall walk with me in white : for they are 

5 worthy. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white 
raiment ; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, 
but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. 

6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the 
churches. 

The expression, thou hast a name that thou livest, and 
art dead, clearly indicates that religion was in a very 
declining state in the church at Sardis. Those who had 
fallen into this cold and lifeless state are exhorted to be 
watchful, and strengthen the few remaining things pertain- 
ing to Christian character that seemed just ready to expire. 
They are exhorted to repent and to return to the practice 
of their religious duties, in order that they might not be 
surprised by the unexpected coming of the Saviour. 
There were a few in Sardis who had kept themselves pure 
from the prevailing spiritual deadness and corruption. To 
such, the most precious promises are given. Having loved 
purity, it is promised that they shall be made forever holy 
in heaven, shall walk with their Redeemer clothed in white 
garments, and thus be owned by Him in the presence of 
the angelic host. 

4* 



42 REVELATION. 

7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write ; These things 
saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, 
he that openeth, and no man shutteth ; and shutteth, and no man 

8 openeth : I know thy works : behold, I have set before thee an 
open door, and no man can shut it : for thou hast a little strength, 

9 and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. Behold, I 
will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are 
Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and 

10 worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. Be- 
cause thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee 
from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, 

11 to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly : 

12 hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him 
that overcometh, will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and 
he shall go no more out : and I will write upon him the name of my 
God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, 
which cometh down out of heaven from my God : and / will write 

13 upon him my new name. He that hath an ear, let him hear what 
the Spirit saith unto the churches. 

Very remarkable and distinguishing blessings are here 
promised to the church in Philadelphia. They had kept 
the Saviour's word, and had not denied His name \ and it 
was therefore promised to them, that their Jewish enemies 
should be put to confusion ; and they should, in some re- 
markable manner, be delivered from the persecutions that 
were then raging, or were about to rage, in the earth. 
The language, I will keep thee from the hour of temptation, 
or trial, may not mean that they were to be wholly exempt 
from persecutions ; but rather that they would experience 
such remarkable deliverance as should constrain their 
persecutors to acknowledge a divine interposition. To 
animate them in holding fast to their confession of Him, the 
Saviour says, " Behold I come quickly ;" and promises to 
all that persevere to the end, an everlasting habitation in 
the New Jerusalem on high. 

14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These 
things saith the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the beginning 



CHAPTER III. 43 

15 of the creation of God. I know thy works, that thou art neither 

16 cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then, because thou 
art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of 

17 my mouth : Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with 
goods, and have need of nothing ; and knowest not that thou art 

18 wretched, and miserable, and poor and blind, and naked : I coun- 
sel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be 
rich ; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the 
shame of thy nakedness do not appear ; and anoint thine eyes with 

19 eye-salve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and 

20 chasten : be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the 
door, and knock : if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I 

21 will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To 
him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even 
as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. 

22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the 
churches. 

Laodicea was a place of great voluptuousness. The 
inhabitants appear to have been devoted to pleasure. The 
ruins of amphitheatres, and other costly structures, suffi- 
ciently attest the wealth of the place. The church there 
had evidently become infected by the prevailing worldli- 
ness. Perhaps there is no sin to which Christians in 
cities, where affluence affords the means of expensive 
pleasures, are more exposed. It operates by an insidious, 
and, therefore, a more dangerous influence. The Laodi- 
cean Christians had become lukewarm and indifferent. 
This state was exceedingly displeasing to Christ, as indi- 
cated by the threatening rebuke — I will spue thee out of 
my mouth. They are exhorted to repent, and to become 
zealous in Christ's cause, and thus to be prepared to give 
Him a welcome reception. " Behold, I stand at the door 
and knock." It is promised to as many as should over- 
come in the trials that were about to come on all the 
world, that they should reign with God in heaven. 



PART SECOND. 

JEWISH PERSECUTIONS, AND THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSA- 
LEM—CHAPS. IV. XI. 1-14. 

The apostle was as much commanded to address the 
things revealed in the residue of this book to the churches 
of Asia, as the respective epistles, or messages, addressed 
to them by name. It is important that this should not be 
lost sight of, if we would arrive at a true interpretation. 
But Christians, in all ages, will find these revelations 
equally suited to their instruction and consolation. Hav- 
ing exhorted and warned these churches, and given prec- 
ious promises to as many as should prove faithful, he 
enters more particularly on the work of comforting and 
fortifying their minds — under their existing tribulations, 
and the greater ones that awaited them — by foretelling the 
utter destruction of all anti-Christian powers. And first, 
the Jewish persecuting power must fall. 



CHAPTER IV. 



1 After this I looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven : and 
the first voice which I heard, was as it were of a trumpet talking 
with me ; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things 

2 which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the Spirit: 
and behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. 

3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone : 
and there was a rainbow round about the throne in sight like unto an 



CHAPTER IV. 45 

4 emerald. And round about the throne were four and twenty seats ; 
and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in 

5 white raiment : and they had on their heads crowns of gold. And 
out of the throne proceeded lightnings, and thunderings, and voices 
And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which 

6 are the seven Spirits of God. And before the throne there was a sea 
of glass like unto crystal: And in the midst of the throne, and 
round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and be- 

7 hind. And the first beast was like a Hon, and the second beast like 
a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast 

8 was like a flying eagle. And the four beasts had each of them six 
wings about him ; and they were full of eyes within : and they rest 
not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, 

9 which was, and is, and is to come. And when those beasts give 
glory, and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who 

10 liveth for ever and ever, The four and twenty elders fall down be- 
fore him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for 
ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 

11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power: 
for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and 
were created. 

In this chapter the most sublime preparation is made for 
the visions and revelations about to follow. The scene 
represented to the exile of Patmos was that of a door 
opened in heaven, from whence a voice issued forth — 
" Come up hither." Immediately he was in the Spirit, 
and had a vision of the glorious throne of the Deity, sur- 
rounded by the heavenly worshippers. Before it burned 
seven lamps of fire, and before it also was a sea of glass, 
like crystal. There was a rainbow round about the throne, 
in appearance like an emerald ; and out of it issued light- 
nings, thunderings, and voices. And in the midst of the 
throne, and round about it, there were four living creatures. 
These living creatures are minutely described. Their 
employment, and that of the four and twenty elders, was 
to celebrate the great and wonderful works of creation and 
providence. 



CHAPTER V. 

1 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book 

2 written within and on the back side, sealed with seven seals. And 
I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy 

3 to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof 1 And no man in 
heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the 

4 book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man 
was found worthy to open, and to read the book, neither to look 

5 thereon. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not ; behold 
the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to 

6 open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, 
and lo, in the midst of the throne, and of the four beasts, and in the 
midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven 
horns, and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth 

7 into all the earth. And he came and took the book out of the right 

8 h?nd of him that sat upon the throne. And when he had taken 
the book, the four beasts, and four and twenty elders fell down be- 
fore the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials 

9 full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a 
new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open 
the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God 
by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and 

10 nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and 

11 we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice 
of many angels round about the throne, and the beasts, and the 
elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten 

12 thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, 
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and 

13 wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And 
every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the 
earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I 
saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him 
that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever. 

14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders 
fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever. 

A book is represented as held in the right hand of the 



CHAPTER V. 47 

great Being who sat on the throne. It is a beautiful and 
impressive emblem to regard future events as registered in 
a sealed book. In this book was the whole prophecy 
revealed to John. A strong angel inquires for one 
worthy to unroll this book. But no man was found able 
or worthy to open it. On this account, such had been the 
expectation awakened in the mind of the Apocalyptist, he 
could not refrain from bitter weeping. But one of the 
elders said to him, " weep not ;-" and assured him that 
the Lamb that was once slain, now the Lion of the tribe 
of Judah — i. e. the Lord Jesus Christ — had power to open 
the book. And when this glorious Personage came and 
took the book, there followed a scene of exultation and 
rapture in which the whole heavenly host participated. 
The four living creatures, and the four and twenty elders, 
fell down before the Lamb. Every one of them had 
harps and golden vials, full of odors, which are said to be 
the prayers of the Saints ; and the great burden of these 
prayers, as we learn from this book, was that Christ would 
fulfil his promise to come and destroy the power of their 
enemies. Prostrate before the Lamb, they sung a new 
song in honor of Him who had redeemed them to God by 
His blood. To this song myriads of angels responded, and 
the voices of the angelic and redeemed host rose in one grand 
chorus, Worthy is the Lamb ; and anon the whole universe 
echoes and re-echoes the sound — Worthy the Lamb. 

Such was the magnificent, imposing preparation made 
to introduce the sublime and important predictions that 
were to follow. And now commences the disclosure of those 
great events, shortly to come to pass, revealed to the seven 
churches to give them fortitude and courage under their 
present afflictions, and such as awaited them, as well as to 
strengthen the faith and confirm the hope of the people of 
God, in all ages. 



CHAPTER VI. 

1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as 
it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts, saying, Come 

2 and see. And I saw, and behold, a white horse : and he that sat on 
him had a bow ; and a crown was given unto him : and he went 
forth conquering, and to conquer. 

Bishop Newton understands this to be a prediction of 
Vespasian and Titus, who ravaged Judea and destroyed 
Jerusalem. Others, who date this book at a later period, 
refer this prediction to the victories of the emperor Trajan : 
but these victories, it is well known, had no immediate 
connexion with the church, either in the way of dissemi- 
nating the Gospel, or of defeating its propagation ; and 
why, therefore, should they be foretold in a prophecy 
designed to animate the faith, and console the minds of 
persecuted Christians ? We are not to look in the pro- 
phetic Scriptures for predictions relating to earthly sove- 
reigns, or even the most powerful empires, except as they 
stand connected with the prosperous or adverse state of the 
church, present or future. But it is fatal to both these 
schemes that the emblem of a white horse is not adapted 
to warriors and persecutors. White horses were not com- 
monly chosen for war, because they would make their 
riders more conspicuous marks to an enemy. 

The emblem is far better adapted to the mild and benef- 
icent victories of Christ, by His word and Spirit, in the 
conversion of sinners. This part of the prophecy must, 
therefore, be understood as retrogressive ; a peculiarity 
very natural, and not uncommon, in the prophetic Scrip- 
tures, where a series of events is foretold. It refers to the 
Redeemer of the world, at his coming in human flesh, to 



CHAPTER VI. 49 

accomplish the great atoning work. Upon His head is a 
crown, not the helmet of the warrior. There can be no 
objection, however, to fixing the date of this seal from the 
day of Pentecost, when the promise of the Spirit was ful- 
filled, and those signal triumphs of Divine grace, by which 
so many thousands were speedily converted to Christ, un- 
der the labors of the apostles and first ministers, com- 
menced. " He went forth conquering, and to conquer." 
Peruse the account of the success which attended the 
labors of Paul, of Peter, of Barnabas, and Apollos, and 
other apostles and their coadjutors, recorded in the Acts of 
the Apostles. It was distinctly foretold by our Lord, as 
one of the signs of the approaching destruction of Jeru- 
salem, that the Gospel of the kingdom should first be 
preached in all the world ; " then shall the end come :" 
Matt. xxiv. 14. Throughout the Roman empire, and 
wherever Jews were to be found, in nearly all parts of the 
then known world, the Gospel had been published anterior 
to this threatened destruction. 

3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast 

4 say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red : 
and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the 
earth, and that they should kill one another : and there was given 
unto him a great sword. 

The emblem of a red or fire-colored horse denotes con- 
tention and persecution. Power was given to his rider to 
take peace from the earth. Our Saviour taught His disci- 
ples that the effect of His Gospel — by the opposition it 
would encounter — would be to take peace from the earth. 
He came not to send peace, but a sword. The force of 
the expression, in the original, translated to take peace 
from the earth, and that they should kill one another, is — 
that variance, strife, and persecution, the effect of a fiery 
zeal, without charity, was to prevail — not with nations as 

5 



50 REVELATION. 

such, but among brethren and companions — the spirit of 
Christianity having degenerated, or being wholly lost. 
This view of what is disclosed by the second seal, corres- 
ponds fully with another of those signs which our Lord 
foretold would indicate that the destruction of Jerusalem 
was at hand. " Then shall many be offended, and shall 
betray one another and hate one another :" Matt. xxiv. 10. 
Paul, in 2 Tim., complains of Demas and Phygellus, and 
Hermogenes, and many others, who turned away from 
him ; and that when he first appeared at the bar of Nero, 
" no man stood with him, but all forsook him." And in 
the epistle to the Philippians, he mentions those who were 
so devoid of brotherly kindness, and the spirit of Chris- 
tianity, that they even preached Christ of contention, sup- 
posing to add affliction to his bonds. And Tacitus, (Ann. 
15, c. 44,) speaking of the persecution by Nero, says of 
Christians, " At first, those who were seized confessed their 
sect ; and then, by their indication, a great multitude were 
convicted." At a later period, in the language of another 
pagan writer, " the hatred of Christians (or those who 
were so called) to each other, exceeded the fury of wild 
beasts against men." To some extent this might have 
been true, prior to and during the persecution by Nero. 
He would, no doubt, employ the informers, spoken of by 
Tacitus, and apostates, as the best instruments for accom- 
plishing his cruel purposes. 

5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, 
Come and see. And I beheld, and lo, a black horse ; and he that 

6 sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice 
in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, 
and three measures of barley for a penny ; and see thou hurt not the 
oil and the wine. 

The black horse was an emblem of famine, and the 
balances and measures, importing that food was to be sold 



CHAPTER VI. 51 

by weight, and in small quantities, were emblematical of a 
scarcity of provisions. Our Saviour predicted famines as 
one of the signs of the speedy destruction of Jerusalem. 
" And there shall be famines :" Matt. xxiv. 7. The fa- 
mine foretold (Acts xi. 28-30), which took place in the 
reign of Claudius, extended all over Judea, and lasted 
with severity several years. Josephus (Antiq. B. 20, ii. 6) 
gives a particular account of this famine. There was 
another famine, in the tenth or eleventh year of the same 
reign, which is mentioned by Tacitus (Ann. Lib. 12, 43), 
and by Suetonius (Claud, 18). 

7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the 

8 fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold, a pale 
horse : and his name that sat on him was Death, and hell followed 
with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of 
the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and 
with the beasts of the earth. 

The symbols here employed strikingly denote a period 
of great slaughter and devastation. There is a grouping 
here of the four great calamities, War, Pestilence, 
Famine, and Wild Beasts. In the prophecy of our Sa- 
viour (Matt. xxiv. 6, 7), " earthquakes" are added to this 
catalogue of the divine judgments. 1. Power was given 
to the rider of the pale horse, whose name was Death, " to 
kill with the sword." A spirit of rebellion had, for a 
number of years, been gaining ground among the Jews ; 
but when the emperor Caligula commanded his statue to 
be set up in the temple, the exasperation of the Jews 
seemed to know no bounds. They neglected the cultiva- 
tion of their lands, and flocked in crowds to the cities. 
This spirit of insubordination continued, and seemed to 
gain ground during the reign of Claudius. Acts of vio- 
lence began to be perpetrated. In such cities as Alexan- 
dria, Damascus, Caesarea, and Tyre, where there was a 



52 REVELATION. 

mixed population of Jews and Pagans, fierce contests 
arose, and dreadful slaughter ensued. " The disorders," 
remarks Josephus, (Wars, B. 2, xviii. 2,) " all over Syria 
were terrible. The days were spent in slaughter, and the 
nights in terror." At length the standard of rebellion was 
raised at Jerusalem, against the Roman Prefect ; and 
speedily the Roman army commenced the work of chas- 
tisement and devastation among the cities and villages of 
Palestine. And already might be discerned the premoni- 
tions of those agitations and contentions, by different 
aspirants for the sceptre, which soon convulsed the whole 
Roman empire. 2. Power was given to Death to kill 
" with hunger." The famines which prevailed in Judea 
and Italy, just previous to the overthrow of Jerusalem, 
have been already noticed. 3. And "with death;" the 
pestilence, as noticed by Bishop Newton, in the oriental 
languages, is emphatically styled death. Five or six 
years before the destruction of Jerusalem, a mortal sick- 
ness prevailed at Rome, and in various parts of the empire. 
Josephus speaks of a pestilence which raged at Jerusalem 
at about the same time. And Lardner has referred to 
pestilences which raged in various places, as the period 
of Jerusalem's overthrow drew near. By our Saviour 
earthquakes were foretold. Of these, Pagan historians — 
as referred to by Lardner, vi. 414 — mention many. Jo- 
sephus (Wars, B. 4, iv. 5,) describes one in Judea, the 
effects of which were so awful, that " any one might con- 
jecture that these wonders foreshadowed some grand 
calamities that were coming." 4. But death and hell had 
power to destroy " with the beasts of the earth." The 
land of Judea remaining uncultivated, the people, for the 
most part, as we are informed by Josephus, having fled to 
the cities, beasts of prey multiplied, and would come forth 
from their retreats, attracted by the carcasses of men des- 



CHAPTER VI. 53 

troyed in war, or by pestilence, and would even be 
emboldened to enter into towns, where these carcasses 
were permitted to remain unburied. Wolves and hyenas, 
and other beasts of prey, are known to be attracted to 
battle-fields, and even to hang on the skirts of hostile 
armies. 

9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the 
souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the tes- 

10 tiinony which they held : And they cried with a loud voice, saying, 
How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge 

1 1 our blood on them that dwell on the earth 1 And white robes were 
given unto every one of them ; and it was said unto them, that they 
should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow-servants also and 
their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. 

This seal presents before us the souls of those faithful 
Christians who had suffered martyrdom on account of their 
steadfast attachment to the Gospel, prostrate at the foot of 
the altar, beseeching God to become their vindicator. In 
answer to their cry, the robes of victory are put on them, 
and they are assured that, after a little season, when the 
souls of their brethren, who were to be slaughtered as they 
had been, should be added to their company, God would 
signally vindicate their cause. This seal, therefore, must 
be understood as revealing severe persecution. Accord- 
ingly, we read, in the Acts of the Apostles, how Saul of 
Tarsus made havoc of the church, how Stephen was stoned, 
James was put to death by the sword, and how the apostles 
were delivered to councils, brought before kings, were 
beaten and imprisoned. The Jews indulged in an im- 
placable resentment towards all who believed in Christ, 
and killed them where they had power. During the in- 
surrections and outbreaks, in the reign of Claudius, many 
of the disciples of Christ were massacred. And, about 
six years before the destruction of Jerusalem, began the 

5* 



54 REVELATION. 

bitter persecution by Nero. Our Saviour predicted these 
Jiings. " They shall lay their hands on you and perse- 
cute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into 
prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my 
name's sake :" Luke xxi. 12. " They shall kill you, and 
ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake :" 
Matt. xxiv. 9. 

12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and lo, there was 
a great earthquake ; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, 

13 and the moon became as blood : And the stars of heaven fell unto 
the earth, even as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is 

14 shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll 
when it is rolled together ; and every mountain and island were 

15 moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the 
great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty 
men, and every bond-man, and every free-man, hid themselves in 

16 the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the 
mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him 

17 that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb ; For 
the great day of his wrath is come ; and who shall be able to stand 1 

This grand and fearful description premonishes great 
changes and revolutions. The imagery and the expres- 
sions are the same as those employed by other prophets, 
and applied to revolutions in human governments, or in 
religion. See Is. xiii. 10 ; xxiv. 14, applied to Babylon 
and Idumea; Jer. iv. 23, 24, applied to Judea ; Ezek. 
xxxii. 7, concerning Egypt; Joel. ii. 10, 31, concerning 
Jerusalem. The things disclosed by the opening of the 
sixth seal were also foretold by our Saviour. " The sun 
shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, 
and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the 
heavens shall be shaken :" Matt. xxiv. 29. " And there 
shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars ; 
and upon the earth distress of nations with perplexity ; 
the sea and the waves roaring ; men's hearts failing them 



CHAPTER VI. 55 

for fear and for looking after those things which are 
coming on the earth ; for the powers of heaven shall be 
shaken :" Luke xxi. 25, 26. " For then shall be great 
tribulation, such as was not from the beginning of the 
world to this time ; no, nor ever shall be :" Matt. xxiv. 21. 

We most plainly have, then, in this seal, a prediction of 
the greatest changes and awful commotions, which were 
to precede the end of the Jewish state, the dispersion of 
the Jews, and the destruction of their ecclesiastical as well 
as civil polity. The earthquake represents a great con- 
vulsion of the nation. The sun becoming black represents 
the calamitous state of Judea ; the moon becoming as 
blood, the dire change that was about to take place in the 
ecclesiastical and civil polity of the Jews ; the heaven 
rolling together, their system of worship, their long-estab- 
lished rites passing away ; the stars falling from heaven, 
the rulers, elders, and priests removed or destroyed. Then 
follows a description of the effect of all this on the inhabi- 
tants of Palestine : men of all ranks and conditions would 
look on, with fear and astonishment, and would seek to 
hide themselves from the avenging hand of Divine justice. 
This was " the great and dreadful day of the Lord" fore- 
told by Malachi, and other prophets, when God would 
make a complete end of a stiff-necked and rebellious 
people. 

From the days of Moses to Christ, no other subject — if 
we except the advent of Christ, and the spread of the Gos- 
pel — appears to occupy a larger space in the prophetic 
Scriptures, than the destruction of Jerusalem and the dis- 
persion of the Jews. And upon no other subject did 
Christ himself make more full and minute predictions, as 
recorded in the xxiv. of Matthew, and the xxi. of Luke. 



CHAPTER VII. 

1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners 
of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind 

2 should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And 
I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the 
living God : and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to 

3 whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea. Saying, Hurt not 
the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the ser- 

4 vants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of 
them which were sealed : and there were sealed a hundred and forty 

5 and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. Of the 
tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben 
were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve 

6 thousand. Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of 
the tribe of Nephthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe 

7 of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Simeon 
were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed 
twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thou- 

8 sand. Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of 
the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of 
Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand. 

This chapter is evidently a continuation of the sixth 
seal. It first describes the sealing of " a hundred and 
forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of 
Israel : by which we are to understand the mercy shown, 
or yet to be shown, to a select number of the Jews ; for 
God, in the midst of wrath, remembers mercy. The 
144,000, it is obvious, must be viewed as a symbolical, 
instead of a literal number. It cannot be supposed that 
it expresses the exact number of the Israelites who were 
converted to Christianity previous to the dreadful over- 
throw that came on the Jewish nation. But it clearly 
imports that there were thousands of this nation thus con- 
verted, before these awful judgments fell on their country. 



CHAPTER VII. 57 

men. Soon after the ascension of Christ, we read of three 
thousand added to the company of our Lord's disciples in 
a single day ; and very soon after, the number of those 
that believed was increased to five thousand. And we 
know that, in whatever direction the apostles and first 
preachers went, they invariably entered first into the 
synagogues, and made their first address to the Jews. 
Many thousands, we have reason to believe, were con- 
verted. This work of conversion among them would 
doubtless go on till the very eve of Jerusalem's destruc- 
tion. The first and second verses of this chapter seem to 
teach that the tornado of judgments which was to sweep 
over that city, levelling its palaces and glorious temple 
with the dust, was to be stayed until the full number, who 
were to be brought into the fold of Christ previous to that 
event, had received " the seal of the living God." 

9 After this I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, which no man could 
number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, 
stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white 

10 robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, 
saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and 

11 unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, 
and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne 

12 on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen : Blessing, and 
glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and 

13 micrht, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. And one of the 
elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed 

14 in white robes'? and whence came they'? And I said unto him, 
Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came 
out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made 

15 them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before 
^he throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple : and 

16 he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall 
hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun 

17 light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst 
of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living foun- 
tains of waters : and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. 



58 REVELATION. 

We have here, before the opening of the seventh seal, 
and the sounding of the seven trumpets, as a sort of in- 
terlude in the sacred drama, the anthem of a great multi- 
tude standing before the throne, clad in white robes, and 
with palms of victory in their hands. This great multi- 
tude was composed of those gathered, not from the Jewish 
nation alone, but from all nations and parts of the earth. 
They came out of great tribulation, from amidst tempta- 
tion, sorrow, and sickness — " from torturing racks," from 
scorching flames — but they made their robes white in the 
blood of the Lamb. And now how changed their condi- 
tion ! What happiness and honor have been conferred on 
them ! They are before the throne of God ; they serve 
Him day and night in His temple ; He that sitteth on the 
throne dwells among them ; they hunger and thirst no 
more ; their tears are all wiped away ; the Lamb feeds 
them, and leads them to fountains of living water. Their 
mourning and prayers are turned into praises — lofty, 
high-sounding praises. Salvation to God is their theme, 
while all the angels before the throne join in saying, Amen ; 
Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and power, be unto God 
for ever and ever. The appropriateness of this episode, 
if we may so regard it, will be readily perceived, if the 
leading design of the prophecy contained in this book is 
kept in view. What consolation it would afford to the 
little flock of Christ's persecuted followers to know, by 
this vivid representation, that when God should make up 
the number of His redeemed, there would be not a few 
thousands from the Jewish nation alone, but an innumer- 
able company of worshippers from all nations, kind^ds, 
people, and tongues ! 

We are brought now to the Seventh Seal. It includes 
the seven trumpets, and all that remains of the prophecy 
contained in this look. 



CHAPTER VIH. 

1 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in 

2 heaven about the space of half an hour. And I saw the seven 
angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven 

3 trumpets. And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a 
golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he 
should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar 

4 which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which 
came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of 

5 the angel's hand. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with 
fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth : and there were voices, 

6 and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. And the seven 
angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. 

The contents of the book with seven seals, inasmuch as 
it includes the whole of the prophecy, related to the Pagan 
and Papal persecuting powers, as well as to the Jewish. 
And John now proceeds to describe Pagan Rome. This 
was necessary, before he had fully depicted the catastrophe 
of the Jewish nation, inasmuch as it was by the sword of 
the Romans that this catastrophe was to be finally accom- 
plished. Besides, the strict method which seems to run 
through this book required this, because the Pagan perse- 
cuting power commenced previous to the overthrow of the 
Jewish nation. Even the writer of this book, although 
residing in a distant province of the empire, had been made 
a victim of Nero's cruelty; and, at the time he wrote, 
Jerusalem was still standing. 

Perhaps we are to understand this transition to be indi- 
cated by " the silence in heaven about the space of half an 
hour." First, the Apocalyptist saw seven angels, to whom 
were given seven trumpets. Then, by another angel, 
standing at the altar, having a golden censer, offering in 



60 REVELATION. 

cense with the prayers of the saints, is represented the 
efficacy of the prayers of God's persecuted people. As 
the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, 
ascended up before God, the angel, as if in token that 
these prayers were heard, filled the censer with fire and 
cast it to the earth ; " and there were voices, and thunder- 
ings, and lightnings, and an earthquake ;" i. e., a fearful 
destruction is just ready to fall upon persecutors 

7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled 
with blood, and they were cast upon the earth : and the third part of 
trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. 

By the figure hail and fire mingled with Hood, may be 
understood the ancient warfare of the barbarous tribes and 
nations, out of which grew the Roman commonwealth. 
The expression, " the third part," which occurs so fre- 
quently in this prophecy, will be found, in every instance, 
to refer to the Roman nation, and its conquests in the 
earth. Here, by the third part of the trees, and all the 
green grass, being burnt up, allusion is made to the Roman 
conquests, in their wars with the Sabines, Tarquins, Car- 
thaginians, and the Greeks. Accordingly, this part of the 
prophecy, together with the next three trumpets, like the 
first five seals, must be viewed as retrogressive. The 
object of thus bringing to view past events in the history 
of Home, doubtless was that, by a more full description, 
that power might be more clearly pointed out. When 
John described Nero, as we shall see in a subsequent part 
of this work, it was necessary for him to do it in such a 
manner as not to be exposed to the vindictiveness of that 
monarch. For a similar reason, instead of mentioning the 
Roman power by name, it was a necessary precaution for 
him to describe it, and describe it in such a manner as not 
to be exposed to the watchful malice of its minions and 
emissaries. 



CHAPTER VIII. 61 

8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain 
burning with fire was cast into the sea : and the third part of the sea 

9 became blood : And the third part of the creatures which were in 
the sea, and had life, died 3 and the third part of the ships were 
destroyed. 

A great mountain, burning with fire, was the symbol of 
a powerful and warlike people, such as the Roman nation 
was. By its being cast into the sea, and turning it into 
blood, is meant the destruction of nations and empires ; 
for waters, as the angel explained to John (Rev. xvii. 15,) 
" are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues." 
And, by the third part, is to be understood the extent of 
the Roman dominion ; for it came to possess " in Asia and 
Africa, as much as it wanted in Europe to make up the 
third part of the inhabited world at that time." 

10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, 
burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the 

11 rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; And the name of the 
star is called Wormwood : and the third part of the waters became 
wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were 
made bitter. 

This great star, falling from heaven, may be understood 
as pointing to some distinguished ruler or commander of 
the Roman nation. For nearly four hundred years, Rome 
was a republic. In this period flourished Fabius, Cincin- 
natus, Livy, Scipio, Marius, Pompey, and Cicero. But 
Pompey and Cicero were destined to see a change. They 
were contemporary with the first of the Csesars. Their 
efforts, united with those of the virtuous Cato and the pa- 
triotic Brutus, were ineffectual in shielding their country 
from the calamity which they saw impending. The great 
star fell. And well might it be called Wormwood ; for it 
was the signal for civil dissensions, the most bitter personal 
animosities and sanguinary contests, in which some of the 

6 



62 REVELATION. 

best blood of the commonwealth was shed. Julius Caesar,* 
who " united the talents of Bonaparte to those of Cromwell, 
and possessed also what neither of them possessed — learn- 
ing, taste, wit, eloquence,"*)* — had been gradually rising 
into power. In his usurpations, such patriots as Cato and 
Brutus, and Cicero, long thought they had detected an 
ambition for kingly power. At length, civil war broke 
out : Pompey was conquered on the field of Pharsalia, and 
Csesar was declared perpetual Dictator. The attempts of 
Brutus to restore the republic were ineffectual. The re- 
sult of the battle of Philippi served only to render the 
prospects of the commonwealth more gloomy than before. 
By the third part of the waters becoming wormwood, is to 
be understood the civil war which convulsed every part of 
the Roman dominions. And, by the many men who died 
of the waters, because they were made bitter, is to be 
understood the multitudes who perished in the defence of 
their country, or in the armies of the usurper. 

12 And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was 
smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the 
stars ; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone 
not for a third part of it, and the night likewise. 

Here is described a continuation of those usurpations 
which subverted the Roman republic, and the consequences 
with which they were immediately attended. The strug- 

* " He was no doubt of a very noble mind." — Bacon. 

" The singular force and grandeur of his character can never be 
overlooked. His sharp insight — his sagacious, comprehensive, and 
practical views — his boldness of conception — his indomitable persever- 
ance — his unswerving decision, and his power over armies, popular 
assemblies, and men of genius, rank and fame — prove him to have be- 
longed to the highest order of men of great capacity ; and it is impos- 
sible to survey his actions without a feeling approaching to the awful." 
— Life of Julius Caesar : Leavitt, Trow & Co., N. Y., 1846. 

t Macaulay. 



CHAPTER VIII. 63 

gles of the patriots to save the commonwealth proved 
unsuccessful, until, at the battle of Actium, the republic 
was completely overthrown; and, shortly after, Augustus 
Caesar, without opposition, exercised the powers of an ab- 
solute sovereign. The third part of the sun, the third 
part of the stars, and the third part of the moon, were 
smitten ; i. e., the republican institutions, and the great 
men, the great lights of the commonwealth, were eclipsed 
and darkened. Roman virtue seemed to perish with such 
men as Cato and Brutus ; or at least, did not long survive 
their compatriots, who escaped falling by the sword ; for 
in. little more than fifty years, the monarchy was fully 
established under Augustus, and Tiberius, his successor. 

13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of hea- 
ven, saying with a loud voice, Wo, wo, wo, to the inhabiters of the 
earth, by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three 
angels, which are yet to sound ! 

In this verse, we are given to understand that the three 
remaining trumpets are to be distinguished from the former, 
by the name of Woes. The design of this is to awaken 
attention to the following trumpets, and particularly as 
woes, to distinguish them from the former — which we have 
seen were not designed to foretell judgments on the enemies 
of the church, or the persecution of the church itself, but 
were merely descriptive of the rise and progress of a power 
which eventually became most inimical to the cause of 
Jesus Christ. The three woe-trumpets are appropriately 
so called, because they predict persecutions against Chris- 
tianity by the pagan empire of Rome, and the false 
prophet, or papal anti-Christ ; and the judgments which 
should be inflicted on these persecuting powers. The 
other trumpets, let me repeat it, relate to the rise and pro- 
gress of the Roman empire ; those that remain are dis- 
tinguishingly styled woes, because they manifestly relate 



64 REVELATION. 

to the persecution of the church carried on by Nero, and 
perpetuated by several of his successors, and, at length, 
by the woman whom the Beast carried, L e., the church 
of Rome ; and they also predict the final overthrow of these 
persecuting powers. They are of interest to all the in- 
habitants of the earth — for including, as they do, the 
seventh trumpet, the angel will not cease his flight in 
heaven, nor his fearful cry, until every persecuting enemy 
of God has been destroyed. 



CHAPTER IX. 

1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto 
the earth : and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. 

2 And he opened the bottomless pit ; and there arose a smoke out of 
the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace ; and the sun and the air 

3 were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. And there came 
out of the smoke locusts upon the earth : and unto them was given 

4 power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. And it was com- 
manded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, 
neither any green thing, neither any tree ; but only those men which 

5 have not the seal of God in their foreheads. And to them it was 
given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tor- 
mented five months : and their torment was as the torment of a 

6 scorpion, when he striketh a man. And in those days shall men 
seek death, and shall not find it ; and shall desire to die, and death 

7 shall flee from them. And the shapes of the locusts were like 
unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it 
were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. 

8 And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as 

9 the teeth of lions. And they had breastplates, as it were breast- 
plates of iron ; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of 

10 chariots of many horses running to battle. And they had tails like 
unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails : and their power 

1 1 was to hurt men five months. And they had a king over them, 
which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew 
tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. 

12 One wo is past ; and behold, there come two woes more hereafter. 

A great star falling from heaven, as before remarked, 
under the third trumpet, must be taken as symbolical of a 
powerful prince or ruler. The person here pointed out is 
the cruel tyrant Nero. The opening of the bottomless pit, 
and the smoke which arose out of it, darkening the air, 
refer to the atrocities perpetrated by that infamous and 
tyrannical emperor. He was more than suspected of being 

6* 



66 REVELATION. 

accessory to the murder of his predecessor, Claudius. He 
caused his mother, Agrippina, and his wife, the unfortu- 
nate Octavia, to be executed. He exercised every species 
of arbitrary cruelty on his subjects. His preceptor, the 
virtuous Seneca, having lost all influence over him, he 
abandoned himself to the most voluptuous practices and 
licentious vices. But " his cruelties exceeded all his 
other extravagances/' The most virtuous citizens were 
massacred ; even Seneca fell at last ; and the most profli- 
gate were taken into favor. At length, he set fire to the - 
cityf o Rome; and, as he stood on a tower, watching the 
flames, played upon the harp, and sung verses on the 
burning of Troy. " The sun and the air were darkened 
by reason of the smoke :" these words were not only ful- 
filled literally, but they strikingly depict — as doubtless was 
their design — the great calamities which befel the Roman 
empire, in consequence of the atrocities of Nero. 

" And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the 
earth ; and unto them was given power, as the scorpions 
of the earth have power." As the smoke that came out 
of the bottomless pit represents the persecutions and cruel- 
ties which Nero exercised towards his subjects, of all ranks 
and classes, in various parts of the empire, so the locusts 
that came out of the smoke admit of a striking application 
to the factions that arose in Jerusalem on the invasion of 
Judea by the Roman army. 

We learn, from the Jewish historian, that when the 
robbers — who had taken advantage of the convulsed state 
of the country, and had banded together, in the mountains 
of Judea, for rapine and murder — beheld the Roman army 
approaching Jerusalem, they betook themselves to the city, 
and being joined by the zealots and lawless mob, ruled over 
it. Plunder, murder, and destruction seemed now to be 
without restraint. Faction fought against faction ; and, to 



CHAPTER IX. 67 

deprive each other of food, large quantities of provisions, 
which had been collected in anticipation of the siege, were 
destroyed. The blood of thousands was shed by their 
brethren. The robbers and zealots at last held undisputed 
sway. Famine preyed upon all. The sewers were 
searched for food, and the most loathsome refuse was 
greedily devoured. Josephus (Wars, b. 6, iii. 4,) relates 
the following affecting story of a Jewish lady, " eminent 
for her family and wealth, 5 ' who had fled to Jerusalem on 
the invasion of Palestine by the Roman army. All the 
treasures, and all the food she had brought with her, for 
the maintenance of herself and family, had been seized by 
the lawless banditti that infested the city. By her im- 
precations, she strove in vain to provoke them to take away 
her life. Famine, at last, seemed to divest her of the 
instincts and affections of a human being. With despera- 
tion, she seized her own son, an infant, slew and served it 
up for food. Horrid feast ! The portion she did not con- 
sume was concealed. The smell of food was not long in 
attracting the vultures to the abode of the miserable woman. 
They threatened her with new torments if she did not show 
them where it was concealed. She uncovered, and placed 
the half-eaten body of her son before the robbers ; and, 
with bitter irony, assured them that she had saved it as a 
portion for them. These wretches, at the horrid spectacle, 
fled from her house, trembling and affrighted. " The fa- 
mine," remarks Josephus, (Wars, b. 5, x. 3,) " was too 
hard for all other passions ; insomuch that children pulled 
the very morsels that their fathers were eating out of their 
very mouths ; and what was still more to be pitied, so did 
the mothers do to their children ; and when those who were 
most dear were perishing under their hands, they were not 
ashamed to take from them the very last drops that might 
preserve their lives." Such were the beings, human in 



68 REVELATION. 

form only, that gave to the locusts power as the scorpions 
of the earth have power. Well might such men as laid 
waste the city of Jerusalem, whilst the Roman army be- 
sieged it, be compared to scorpions — than which there are 
few animals more malignant and formidable, and none 
more irascible. It is stated by Dr. Goldsmith, that a 
naturalist, named Maupertius, put a hundred of these 
dreadful insects together, and they scarcely came in con- 
tact, when they began to exert all their rage in mutual 
destruction ; so that, in a few days, there remained but 
fourteen, which had killed and devoured all the rest. The 
female scorpion will even devour its own youmg. And it is 
asserted, that when placed in danger from which it per- 
ceives no way of escape, this malignant insect will sting 
itself to death. Such is the terrible nature of the scorpion. 
And what could more vividly represent the mad and self- 
immolating fury of the factions which afflicted unhappy 
Jesusalem. " Their torment was as the torment of a 
scorpion when he striketh a man. 55 The Roman general, 
Titus, beheld, with amazement, the furious desperation of 
the Jews, and would gladly have saved both their city and 
their temple from destruction. Thrice did he extinguish 
the fire that had been thrown upon the sacred edifice. 
But the decree had gone forth that not one stone of it should 
be left upon another. And after the work was accom- 
plished, this Pagan exclaimed in amazement, when he 
beheld the impregnable fortifications of Jerusalem — " We 
have certainly had God for our helper in this war. For 
what could the hands of man, or any machines of war, do 
towards throwing down such fortifications ? 55 Considering 
the vast magazines of provisions which had been collected 
in the city, it is more than probable that, had the Jews been 
united, the Roman army, finding it impossible to procure 
supplies in an uncultivated country, would have been com- 



CHAPTER IX. 69 

pelled to retire without accomplishing the object of their 
expedition. But it was the factious spirit of the Jews which 
precipitated their overthrow. As if with scorpion rage, they 
stung themselves to death, or exerted all their fury in 
mutual destruction. In regard to the destruction of Jeru- 
salem, Josephus (preface to Wars, § 4,) bears record that, 
in his opinion " no city ever suffered such miseries, nor 
was there ever a generation more fruitful in wickedness 
from the beginning of the world." " It appears to me that 
the misfortunes of all men, from the beginning of the 
world, if they be compared to those of the Jews, are not so 
considerable." And most certain it is, that the details 
which he furnishes are the most sickening for atrocity, and 
the savage ferocity exhibited by the principal actors, to be 
found on the pages of history. The number of those who 
perished by the sword, famine, and pestilence, was com- 
puted at upwards of one million, three hundred thousand. 
" The multitudes of those who perished exceeded all the 
destructions that man or God ever brought on the world." 
(Jos. Wars, b. 6, ix. 4.) 

The locusts were commissioned to injure those men that 
had not the seal of God in their foreheads ; i. e., such as 
were not Christians ; the blasphemous, and God-contemn- 
ing Jews. They were not permitted to kill them ; L e., 
slaughter was not the particular work assigned them. 
Many, it is true, perished, but chiefly by the famine and 
the pestilence. To inflict torment was the peculiar work 
assigned to the locusts. They had the power of the scor- 
pion for this very end. And as the literal locusts were 
one of the greatest calamities in the East — leaving deso- 
lation and famine in their track, by consuming the entire 
crops of the husbandman — so the Zelotce, of whom they 
were the symbol, destroyed the stores of grain which the 
inhabitants of Jerusalem had collected in anticipation of a 



70 REVELATION. 

siege — making a land which was as the garden of Eden 
before them, as a desolate wilderness. The city was full 
of people when Titus gained an entrance within the walls ; 
and to his army was assigned the chief work of slaughter. 
When the soldiers, as represented by Josephus, were quite 
tired with killing men, there remained a vast multitude ; 
so that Titus, to cut short the work, commanded that they 
should kill none but those found in arms. (Jos. Wars, 
b. 6, ix. 2.) 

The locusts were commissioned to torment five months. 
And this precisely was the period during which Titus be- 
sieged Jerusalem, and the zealots and robbers held undis- 
puted sway within the walls, and were perpetrating the 
enormities, some of which have been described. It was 
about the first of March, (Jos. War, b. 5, iii. 1, 2,) when 
Titus laid siege to Jerusalem ; just five months after, viz., 
the tenth of August, (Jos. War, b. viii. 4,) the city was 
destroyed, and the power of the locusts to torment those 
who had not the seal of God in their foreheads ceased. It 
is not only a great, but an insuperable difficulty in the way 
of interpreting these locusts as representing the Saracens, 
which is done by those who understand Mahommed to be 
foretold by the " great star," that it is impossible to ex- 
plain the five months either literally or figuratively ; i. e., 
either as five natural months, or as a hundred and fifty 
years. The Saracenic Caliphs reigned at Bagdad and 
Damascus three hundred years. 

It was in those days — the continuance of the five months 
— that men should seek death and not find it, and should 
desire to die, and death should flee from them. Josephus 
(War, b. 5. xii. 3.) represents some as beseeching the rob- 
bers to despatch them with their swords, but even these 
monsters in human shape, influenced by the malice of de- 



CHAPTER IX. 71 

lighting to see protracted miseries, refused to heed the 
request. It was not given them to kill, but to torment. 

In regard to the description of the locusts which came 
out of the smoke, the following information, from an orien- 
tal traveller, Niebuhr, serves in part to explain it. He 
was told by an Arab from the desert, and another at Bag- 
dad, that the head of the locust might be compared to that 
of the horse ; its breast to that of the lion ; its feet to those 
of the camel ; its body to that of the serpent ; its tail to that 
of the scorpioa ; its horns (antenna) to the locks of hair of 
a woman. And Bishop Newton remarks that locusts are 
called by the Italians cavellette, little horses. War-horses, 
the teeth of lions, iron breastplates, and the noise of war- 
chariots rushing to battle, are all symbolical of a formida- 
ble and destructive power. Such were the Zelotce, who 
were " a greater terror to the inhabitants of Jerusalem than 
the Romans themselves." But that part of the description 
of the locusts which represents them as having hair, like 
the hair of women, has occasioned no small perplexity to 
the critics, as exhibiting a disregard of natural verisimili- 
tude. The prophet evidently had his eye on enemies so 
formidable and unheard of, that not even locusts, or any 
other similar creature, could fully symbolize them. Jose- 
phus (War, b. 4. ix. 10.) describes the zealots as decking 
their hair after the manner of women, putting on the gar- 
ments and ornaments of women, and affecting an effeminate 
gait, that they might more successfully accomplish their 
fiendish purposes. 

Under the sixth trumpet, we shall find the destruction of 
the Jewish nation completed, and of course the end of the 
Jewish persecuting power. It extends to chap. xi. 14. 

13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four 

14 horns of the golden altar which is before God, Saying to the sixth 
angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound 



72 REVELATION. 

15 in the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, 
which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a 

16 year, for to slay the third part of men. And the number of the 
army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand : and I 

17 heard the number of them. And thus I saw the horses in the vis- 
ion, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of 
jacinth, and brimstone : and the heads of the horses were as the heads 
of lions : and out of their mouths issued fire, and smoke, and brim 

18 stone. By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and 
by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. 

19 For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails : for their tails 
were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt. 

20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues 
yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not 
worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, 

21 and of wood : which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk : Neither 
repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their 
fornication, nor of their thefts. 

The unbinding of the four angels, in or by the great 
river Euphrates, to which the territory of the Roman em- 
pire extended, represents the four generals, Vespasian, 
Titus, Aggrippa, and Trajan, who commanded the Roman 
army, which overrun Judea and destroyed Jerusalem. 
This army was gathered from countries lying towards, or 
bordering on the river Euphrates. As for the expressions, 
" an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year/' it is only 
necessary to say, in the language of Dr. Doddridge, " that 
they probably signify a determined, limited time." The 
four angels, or ministers of divine justice, had been pre- 
pared, or set apart, for a particular period or point of time, 
which could be neither anticipated nor delayed. When 
that hour arrived, they would be found ready for their ap- 
pointed work. The number of the army was two hundred 
thousand thousand, 200,000,000 ; a very large definite 
number is put for an indefinite, a method of expression not 
altogether uncommon at the present day. The army of 
the invaders numbered less than 100,000 men. Then fol- 



CHAPTER IX. 73 

lows a description of the Roman legions, and of those wild 
bands of oriental cavalry, which constituted the main body 
of the invading force, the terror they would spread around 
them, and the slaughter of those against whom they were 
sent. The heads of the horses being compared to the heads 
of lions, out of the mouths of which a destructive fire 
issued, and their tails likened to serpents, having heads, are 
a part of the picture presented to the eye of the apocalyptist, 
designed to intimate the terrific and tormenting nature of 
the miseries inflicted on the Jewish nation. The Jewish 
nation was the carcase, the slaughtering army which John 
beheld in vision were the eagles gathered together to de- 
vour it. 

" And the rest of the men which were not killed by these 
plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that 
they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and sil- 
ver, and brass, and stone, and of wood, which neither can 
see, nor hear, nor walk." These words, at first view, 
it would seem, could not possibly apply to Jews, but must 
refer to heathen. And if so, then it would follow that the 
interpretation which has been given of this part of the 
Apocalypse can not be sustained. If the victims of the 
judgments which have been described were the worship- 
pers of idols, it might be concluded at once that they were 
not Jews. But it is well known that up to the time of the 
Babylonish captivity, there was no sin to which the Jews 
were more addicted than that of idolatry. It was for this 
sin that the severest judgments were denounced against 
them, even the desolation of their country, and the destruc- 
tion of their city. It is also evident that, after their rejec- 
tion of the true Messiah, there could have been no spiritual 
religion left among them. There were no Simeons and 
Annas who waited for the consolation of Israel, devoutly 
serving God, All the religion that was left was pharisai^ 



74 REVELATION. 

cal and heartless formality. Christ told those who made 
the greatest pretensions to religion among the Jews that 
they had given proof that they were not Moses's disciples, 
but that they were of their father, the devil. There might 
have been an outward reverence for certain places and 
observances, but as this constituted all their religion, it 
was no better than idolatry. They did not worship God 
in spirit and in truth, whilst they manifested an idolatrous 
regard for the temple and traditionary rites. If covetous- 
ness might be called idolatry, of what better name could 
the worship of the Jews have been deserving. But it is by 
no means improbable that in that degenerate age, there 
was a considerable party who had actually fallen into 
idolatry. It is by no means uncharitable to suppose of 
men who had shamelessly Violated almost every precept 
of the moral law, who were thieves and murderers, that 
they were also guilty of idolatry. The robbers of Idumea 
and the Sicarii of Galilee were guilty of practices that 
might even shame the heathen. But even if there were 
no ground for the charge of actual idolatry against the 
Jews, the language of this passage, like similar language 
elsewhere, might very naturally receive a figurative inter- 
pretation. 

It is a striking illustration of the wickedness of the Jews 
that the judgments inflicted on them failed of leading them 
to repentance. 



CHAPTER X. 

1 And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed 
with a cloud : and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was 

2 as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire : And he had in his 
hand a little book open : and he set his right foot upon the sea, and 

3 his left foot on the earth. And he cried with a loud voice, as when 
a lion roareth . and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their 

4 voices. And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I 
was about to write : and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto 
me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and 

5 write them not. And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and 

6 upon the earth, lifted up his hand to heaven, And sware by him that 
liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that 
therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the 
sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no 

7 longer : But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he 
shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he 

8 hath declared to his servants the prophets. And the voice which I 
heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go, and take the 
little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth 

9 upon the sea and upon the earth. And I went unto the angel, and 
said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, 
Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall 

10 be in thy mouth sweet as honey. And I took the little book out 
of the angel's hand, and ate it up ; and it was in my mouth sweet 

11 as honey : and as soon as I had eaten it my belly was bitter. And 
he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, 
and nations, and tongues, and kings. 

This chapter, which, as already stated, is a continuation 
of the sixth trumpet, comprises the vision of the mighty- 
angel with a little book in his hand. He is described as 
clothed with a cloud, with a rainbow on his head, his face 
resplendent like the sun, and his feet like pillars of brass, 
glowing with brightness. Sir William Jones has pronounc- 



76 REVELATION. 

ed this description to be " superior to any thing ever pro- 
duced by an uninspired writer. 55 It doubtless refers to the 
Saviour himself, who appears to announce that there should 
be no further delay, but that the " How long, O Lord !" 
of the martyrs should now be answered. To show His 
authority over the created universe, and His power to con- 
summate His threatened judgments, He stands with one 
foot on the sea, and the other on the land. At the sound 
of His voice, seven thunders uttered their voices. John 
was commanded not to write the things which these voices 
uttered ; and hence, any hypothesis as to what they utter- 
ed would seem to be wholly out of place. Then the 
glorious Being, who stood with one foot on the sea and the 
other on the land, lifted up His hand to heaven, and sware 
" that there should be time no longer," an expression which 
means, and should have been translated, as critics have 
satisfactorily shown, ' that there should be no more delay.' 
The " little season" which the martyrs (ch. vi. 11.) were 
directed to wait, during which their number was to be 
completed, was now to end. Their fellow servants and 
their brethren had been slain, as they were, by the perse- 
cuting Jews. The catastrophe which awaited the Jewish 
nation, and which might seem to have been delayed by the 
foregoing anticipatory and preparatory visions, was now 
immediately to take place. This catastrophe, we are 
plainly given to understand, would close up the days of the 
sound of the sixth angel ; i. e., the end of the sixth trum- 
pet marks the overthrow of the Jewish persecuting power. 
For we are expressly told that when the seventh angel 
begins to sound, the mystery of God — i. e., His secret pur- 
poses respecting Jewish persecutors, as made known to the 
prophets — shall be finished. The sounding of the seventh 
trumpet would be a token that these secret purposes of 
God, respecting Jewish persecutors, were all fulfilled. 



CHAPTER X. 77 

We must look forward, therefore, to the sounding of the 
seventh trumpet, before we shall arrive at the close of this, 
the first act, if it may be so termed, in this sacred drama ; 
and to the close of the Second Part, according to the divi- 
sion we have made of this book, viz. ch. xi. 14. 

But that the Apocalyptist might not be left to suppose 
from the declarations that there was to be no more delay, 
and that the mystery of God was now to be finished — that 
the seventh seal, and of course the prophecy committed to 
him, was now finished — he is commanded to take the little 
book which was in the hand of the glorious Person who 
stood with one foot on the sea and the other on the land. 
It was a symbolical action, designed to teach John that his 
business with the future was not yet done. It is introdu- 
ced as naturally as an orator or an advocate, in treating of 
one part of his subject, would guard against an inference, 
that in the minds of his hearers might operate unfavour- 
ably upon the subsequent argument. Let not John, and 
let not those to whom the Apocalypse was addressed, sup- 
pose that his work would be done when the mystery of 
God spoken of should be finished ; he was yet to prophesy 
" before (rather, according to the natural meaning of the 
original, respecting) many peoples, and nations, and tongues, 
and kings." The little book must, therefore, represent what 
remained of the seven-sealed book after the sounding of the 
sixth trumpet ; in other words, it contains all that part of 
the revelation made to John subsequent to the catastrophe 
of the Jewish nation. The apostle received the book, and 
was commanded to eat it. The effect of eating it was 
evidently designed to represent that the knowledge of future 
events was the occasion both of sorrow and joy. It was 
very pleasant for him to know how the enemies of the 
church would be destroyed, and Zion would be prospered ; 
but this knowledge was accompanied by that of an opposite 



78 REVELATION. 

kind, viz., that corrupters and other enemies would arise, 
who would be permitted, for a time, to take away the purity 
and peace of Christ's church. 

After this brief and necessary episode, the prophecy 
immediately advances to the close of the first catastrophe ; 
and the words that there should be no longer delay, are 
fulfilled. 



CHAPTER XL 

1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod : and the angel stood, 
saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and 

2 them that worship therein. But the court which is without the 
temple, leave out, and measure it not ; for it is given unto the Gen- 
tiles : and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two 

3 months. And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they 
shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed 

4 in sackcloth. These are the two olive-trees, and the two candle- 

5 sticks standing before the God of the earth. And if any man will 
hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their 
enemies : and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be 

6 killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the 
days of their prophecy ; and have power over waters to turn them 
to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they 

7 will. And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast 
that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against 

8 them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their dead 
bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is 

9 called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And 
they of the people, and kindreds, and tongues, and nations, shall 
see their dead bodies three days and a half, and shall not suffer their 

10 dead bodies to be put in graves. And they that dwell upon the 
earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts 
one to another ; because these two prophets tormented them that 

11 dwelt on the earth. And after three days and a half the Spirit of 
life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and 

12 great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great 
voice from heaven, saying unto them, Come up hither. And they 
ascended up to heaven in a cloud ; and their enemies beheld them > 

13 And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth 
part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven 
thousand : and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the 

14 God of heaven. The second wo is past; and behold, the third wo 
cometh quickly. 

That the altar and temple, here spoken of, were the 



80 REVELATION. 

Jewish temple and altar, and that the holy city, and the 
great city, " where also our Lord was crucified," was Je- 
rusalem, is sufficiently evident. With such a passage 
before us, it is really difficult to understand how the opinion 
that the Apocalypse was written long after the destruction 
of the Jewish city and temple, should have been so preva- 
lent. By the Gentiles treading under foot the holy city 
forty and two months, must be meant the three and a half 
years during which Palestine was laid waste by the Roman 
army. It is, therefore, necessary to understand Jerusalem 
here, by a common figure of speech, to represent the whole 
Jewish nation. Vespasian appears to have received from 
Nero his commission ; i. e., the war was declared (Lard- 
ner's Jewish Test., § viii.) the first part of Feb., A.D. 67 ; 
three years and six months after, viz. the 10th of August, 
A. D. 70, Jerusalem was destroyed. Here, then, we have 
the forty-two months in question. 

The two witnesses, the two olive trees, and the two 
candlesticks, may be understood of teachers in the Chris- 
tian church, predicting the destruction of Jerusalem. 
" The general opinion now is," observes Dr. Bloomfield, 
" that this does not relate to two particular persons, but to 
all who testify to the truth — L e., profess a pure religion." 
Doddridge assigns satisfactory reasons why two, and but 
two, witnesses are specified. These are his words — " il- 
lustrated by two, as that concurring number was necessary 
according to the law, to make the testimony valid ; or to 
intimate that their number should be small." During the 
invasion of Judea for 42 months or 1260 days, they were 
to prophesy " clothed in sackcloth." It is predicted that 
God would marvellously preserve them, amidst scenes of 
violence and bloodshed. They were to possess power — to 
perform the most astonishing miracles — equal to any per- 
formed by Moses and Elijah, and other ancient prophets. 



CHAPTER XL 81 

The death of the two witnesses, by the beast that ascend- 
eth out of the bottomless pit, may be understood as a 
figurative representation of the flight of the little band of 
Christian disciples to Pella, on the approach of Nero's 
forces to Jerusalem : in like manner, their return to life as 
their going forth again, after the invasion, to preach the 
Gospel in demonstration of the Spirit, and with power, at 
a time when their pagan enemies, who had persecuted them 
as a mere sect of the Jews, should suppose they had been 
utterly destroyed. By their preaching the number of the 
disciples would be increased, and thus a cloud of witnesses 
would be prepared to ascend and join the general assembly 
and church of the First Born. 

Thus ends the Jewish persecuting power. The prayer, 
Come, Lord Jesus ! was now answered. There was a 
great earthquake, and that city which it had pleased God 
to distinguish above all other cities, fell to rise no more. 
Some of the inhabitants, when they heard the call of the 
Spirit and the Bride, repaired to the water of life, and re- 
ceived the mark of God in their foreheads. But alas ! 
what numbers disregarded the warning and perished. 

THE SECOND WOE IS PAST. 



PART THIRD. 



PAGAN PERSECUTIONS, AND THE END OF THE PAGAN PER- 
SECUTING POWER CHAPS. XI. 15. -XIII. 10. 

We enter now upon the little book, which, as shown 
before, was designed to intimate to John that the disclosures 
of the seventh seal were not yet concluded. It may be 
regarded as exactly synchronizing with the seventh trum- 
pet, i. e. as containing all that remains of the seven-sealed 
book. Here, let it be observed, that as the seventh 
seal, which is one of the seven divisions of the sealed 
book, contains more than all the other seals, i. e. refers to 
a greater number, and more widely distant events ; so, 
also, the seventh trumpet, which is one of the seven di- 
visions of the seventh seal, contains more than all the 
other trumpets. The days of the seventh trumpet extend 
to the end of the revelation made to John, that is, to the end 
of time, and the consummation of the Redeemer's kingdom. 
They of course include the predictions relative to the 
anti-Christian powers both of pagan and papal Rome. 

15 And the seventh angel sounded ; and there were great voices in 
heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the king- 
doms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever 

1 6 and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God, 

17 on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, 
We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, 
and art to come ; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, 

18 and hast reigned. And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is 
come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and 



CHAPTER XL 83 

that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and 
to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great: 
19 and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. And the tem- 
ple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple 
the ark of his testament ; and there were lightnings, and voices, 
and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail. 

We have in these verses a sort of compendium, or table 
of contents, of those great things that were to transpire 
" in the days of the voice of the seventh angel/' the par- 
ticulars of which are dilated and enlarged upon in the 
remainder of this book. The voices in heaven proclaim- 
ing the kingdoms of this world to be the kingdom of our 
Lord, are evidently to be understood as a prediction of the 
latter day glory. We are thus carried forward at once 
to the blessed millennium, without a particular considera- 
tion of the events preceding and conducting to it. At the 
same time the four and twenty elders are represented as 
praising and glorifying God for having taken to himself 
his great power in the establishment of the gospel king- 
dom. Next, we have an intimation of the great battle of 
Gog and Magog, — " and the nations were angry," — and of 
their destruction, — " and thy wrath is come." An allusion 
to the general judgment, and the recompense of the righteous 
and the wicked follows, — " and the time of the dead that 
they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward 
unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to 
them that fear thy name, small and great, and shouldest 
destroy them that destroy the earth." Such is the table 
of contents of the little book, or the smaller book, so called 
because it was but a part of the larger one, embracing 
those events only which fall under the seventh trumpet. 
In other words, such is the summary view which is given 
of the great events which will be finished when the days 
of the last trumpet expire ; and of which we have a more 
enlarged account, as well as of the steps preceding and 



84 REVELATION. 

conducting to them, in the residue of this book. It is a 
striking illustration of the remarkable method and sim- 
plicity which characterize the writer's plan. We shall 
perceive that he goes on, with the utmost precision, and a 
uniform progress, to fill up this plan. 



CHAPTER XII. 

1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven ; a woman clothed 
with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a 

2 crown of twelve stars. And she, being with child, cried, travailing 

3 in birth, and pained to be delivered. And there appeared another 
wonder in heaven ; and behold, a great red dragon, having seven 

4 heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his 
tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to 
the earth : and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready 

5 to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. And 
she brought forth a man-child, who was to rule all nations with a 
rod of iron : and her child was caught up unto God, and to his 

6 throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a 
place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand 

7 two hundred and threescore days. And there was war in heaven : 
Michael and his angels fought against the dragon ; and the dragon 

8 fought and his angels, And prevailed not ; neither was their place 

9 found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, 
that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the 
whole world : he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were 

10 cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now 
is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and 
the power of his Christ : for the accuser of our brethren is cast 

1 1 down which accused them before our God day and night. And 
they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of 

12 their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death. There- 
fore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Wo to the in- 
habiters of the earth, and of the sea ! for the devil is come down unto 
you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a 

13 short time. And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the 
earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. 

14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she 
might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished 
for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. 

15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood, after the 
woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. 

16 And the earth helped the woman ; and the earth opened her mouth, 

8 



86 REVELATION. 

and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. 
17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war 
with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of 
God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. 

By the " woman clothed with the sun," we are to under- 
stand the Church of God, glorious and of divine origin ; 
with the moon under her feet, to signify the conquest which 
the Church should gain over sublunary things ; and upon 
her head a crown of twelve stars, in allusion to the twelve 
tribes of Israel, or to the twelve apostles, by whom the 
Gospel was first preached. The figure in the second verse 
refers to the promised increase of the Church, and the strug- 
gles by which this increase would be effected. 

We are to understand by " the great red dragon, having 
seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his 
heads," Satan as animating the prince or ruler of a peo- 
ple, " who were to answer, in a remarkable manner, to 
these mysterious and symbolical characters" — the pagan 
nation of Rome. Seven heads, that is, placed on seven 
hills, as Rome was ; ten horns — the divisions of the Roman 
empire ; seven crowns — afterwards expounded chap. xvii. 
10, to be seven kings. The casting down of the third part 
of the stars of heaven may be understood, as was explained 
of similar language under the fourth trumpet, as referring 
to the overthrow of the republican and patriotic rulers of 
Rome by the usurpers of monarchical authority. This 
supposition is the more plausible, inasmuch as by the great 
red dragon the prophet designed particularly to describe 
the despotic government of Rome, which, after having de- 
spoiled the people of many of their civil rights, and over- 
thrown institutions which, if they had been permitted to 
remain, would probably have afforded some security to 
Roman citizens professing the Christian faith, at length 
directed its energies to exterminate Christianity. Enlight- 



CHAPTER XII. 87 

ened Christians of the period at which John wrote, would 
readily identify this new persecuting power as being the 
same which he had described, in strict regard to the order 
of time, under the first trumpets ; while, at the same time, 
the informers of government would discover no cause to 
accuse him of seditious purposes. 

The dragon, which had cast down the third part of the 
stars of heaven, now stands before the woman. That is, 
the agents of the despotic emperors of Rome, by constant 
surveillance, were ready to seize and destroy any of the 
subjects of the empire, who should profess the religion of 
Christ. This is illustrated by an evident allusion to the 
attempt of the Roman power, in the person of its governor 
Herod, to destroy the child Jesus, and thus to crush the 
Christian religion at its birth. 

We are at no loss in understanding the import of the 
language " the man child who was to rule all nations with 
a rod of iron." It points to the Messiah, of whom it was 
predicted, Ps. ii. 9, that he should rule over the nations, 
and " break them in pieces with a rod of iron." The Ro- 
man power not only stood ready to devour him at his birth, 
but it was by this same power, as the instrument of the 
prince of darkness, that he was at length actually brought 
to the cross. " His being caught up to God and His 
throne," represents the ascension of Christ, and that do- 
minion which he holds as King of nations, and it accord- 
ingly proves how futile will be all the efforts of the most 
powerful of earthly rulers, and of the prince of the power 
of the air himself, to destroy the Church of God in the 
world. To refer what is said of the man-child to Constan- 
tine, as the first converted emperor cf Rome, as some 
writers have done, or to any other ruler, on the ground 
that Christ rules visibly and instrumentally, by rulers and 
emperors, must, I think, in the estimation of the candid, 



88 REVELATION. 

degrade the subject. Moreover, how would it be possible 
to give a plausible explanation of his being caught up to 
heaven? Some respectable writers have even doubted 
whether Constantine was a truly converted man ; and have 
supposed that his religion was that of mere deism, with 
little or no addition of Christian belief. 

The apostle now proceeds to assure the seven churches 
that the persecutions from pagan Rome, under Nero, would 
continue but a short time. He informs them how long. 
We are to understand by the flight of the woman into the 
wilderness, the Church fleeing to a place of security dur- 
ing the invasion of Palestine by the Romans, three years 
and a half, or twelve hundred and sixty days. In the 
fourteenth verse, we have the same flight, and the same 
period of exile given — " time, and times, and half a time." 

The passage, vv. 7-13, is to be referred to the rebellion 
of the angels in heaven, their fall, and continued hostility 
to the Church of God on earth. Dr. Burton renders the 
words which are translated and there was war in heaven, 
" now there had been war in heaven." He thinks, and it 
appears to be a very natural supposition, that the passage 
is parenthetical, and relates to an event prior to that in the 
preceding verses. " It accounts," he says, " for the hos- 
tility of Satan to the Church of Christ." In this view, also, 
Dr. Bloomfield professes to coincide. Satan and his 
angels being cast out into the earth, have persecuted the 
Church of God in all ages. By the hands of wicked princes 
and kings, they persecuted the primitive Christians. But 
they conquered by the power of Christ, by the blood of 
the Lamb, by the word of their testimony, which they 
sealed with their own blood. The disciples of Christ who 
had not already left Judea, when they saw the Romans 
advancing to destroy Jerusalem, remembered their Lord's 
warning, (see Luke xxi, 20, 21.) and fled beyond the Jor- 



CHAPTER XII. 89 

dan, and took refuge in an obscure town in the wilderness. 
There they remained until Jerusalem, as shown before, had 
been laid waste by the Romans. It was thus that the 
earth helped the woman ; her Jewish enemies were de- 
stroyed, and a place of protection was found for her from 
the wrath and malice of pagan Rome. 

" And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went 
to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep 
the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus 
Christ.' 5 The expression the remnant of her seed, mani- 
festly includes other Christians besides those who were first 
the objects of persecution. They are said to have the tes- 
timony of Jesus Christ, which means that they were en- 
trusted with the keeping or preserving of the Gospel in the 
earth. The passage evidently refers to the persecution 
of Christians under Domitian, and other emperors of 
Rome. Ten bloody persecutions were carried on by these 
emperors. The dragon was Satan exciting them to under- 
take the extermination of the Christian religion ; hence it 
may be regarded as a symbol of the Roman government 
as administered under these persecutors. Nero, who first 
exercised persecuting power against the disciples of Christ, 
will be found more distinctly brought to view in that por- 
tion of the following chapter which belongs to this part of 
the Apocalypse. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw u beast rise up out 
of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns 

2 ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the 
beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the- 
feet of a bear, and hiss mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon 

3 gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. And I saw 
one of his heads as it were wounded to death ; and his deadly 
wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. 

4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast : 
and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast 1 

5 who is. able to make war with him 1 And there was given unto 
him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies ; and power was 

6 given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened 
his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and 

7 his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given 
unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them : and 
power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 

8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names 
are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the fonda- 

9 tion of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear. He that 

10 leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with 
the sword, must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience 
and the faith of the saints. 

What are we to understand by the beast which John 
saw rise up out of the sea, " having seven heads and ten 
horns, and upon his horns ten crowns ?" We find it ex- 
plained, ch xvii. 7 — 11. An angel appeared and made 
known to John the mystery of the woman, and the beast 
that carrieth her. " The seven heads are seven mountains, 
on which the woman sitteth, and there are seven kings." 
The city of Rome was built on seven hills. " Five kings 
are fallen : ,? Julius Caesar, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, 
Claudius. "One is." Nero was emperor at the time 



CHAPTER XIII. 91 

John was writing. John had an angel for an interpreter 
as to what was intended by the beast with " seven heads 
and ten horns." And we are given to understand that 
this beast was the imperial magistracy of Rome. Its heads 
represent not merely the hills, but seven kings, and are 
therefore to be regarded as symbols of distinct and suc- 
cessive emperors. Of course each particular emperor, 
during the period of his reign, must be regarded as the 
beast itself. For the time being, he was its embodiment. 

This beast is said to have had " the name of blas- 
phemy." The emperors of Rome assumed divine titles. 
They permitted temples to be erected to them, and divine 
honors to be paid them. This was true both of Augustus 
and Caligula. Nero was called Divus. The beast is 
said to have resembled beasts of prey of the most ferocious 
kind, to indicate with what blood-thirsty cruelty it would 
seize on the objects of its wrath. And the dragon, that is 
Satan, gave him "his power, and his seat, and great 
authority." The emperors of Rome, in the persecutions 
they waged against Christians, were actuated by the devil. 
Those to whotn the classical poets of antiquity give divine 
titles and worship as gods, are represented by the apoca- 
lyptist as incarnate fiends. It was the power of Satan 
which they exercised ; they were his allies and instru- 
ments. 

John next describes something wonderful as happening 
to one of the heads of the beast. It was wounded to death ; 
but its deadly wound was healed, which excited the wonder 
of all the world. This language has also been interpreted 
as referring to the popular belief that Nero would be re- 
stored to life, or would reappear, after he was supposed to 
have been dead, to reign in Rome. But the more natural 
interpretation of the deadly wound of the beast is clearly 
this, that it refers to the subversion of the Pagan empire 



92 REVELATION. 

of Rome. Let not the persecuted, however, conclude that, 
with the overthrow of this power, their persecutions would 
be at an end. The deadly wound was healed ; that is, they 
are given to understand that the Roman power, in a new 
form, would be revived and preserved — with somewhat of its 
original ability and disposition to persecute the friends of 
the Gospel. It is in this way, that one part of the Book 
of Revelation admirably reflects light on another. The 
conclusion, then, evidently is, that the beast which rose up 
out of the sea was Pagan Rome, which first exercised per- 
secuting power against the disciples of Christ, by the 
infamous tyrant Nero. 

The worship of Pagan Rome is pronounced to be the 
worship of Satan. The character of their deities was a 
disgusting compound of the vilest passions and the weak- 
est foibles of depraved nature. If they were worthy of 
homage, it was easy to transfer the same even to so vile a 
person as Nero, so long as he was clothed with imperial 
authority, or the opinion that he would return and resume 
his power had any hold on the mind. They worshipped 
the beast in the persons of different emperors ; as mention- 
ed before, they even erected temples to their honor, and 
numbered them among the gods. These tyrants so em- 
ployed their power, as to fill their subjects with a super- 
stitious dread. The national feeling, doubtless, was that 
no nation could stand before the armies of Rome. The 
soldiers carried with them an effigy of Nero, to which 
they were directed to pay homage, and to pray for success 
in battle. 

To the beast, i, e. to Nero, during the period he swayed 
the sceptre of Rome, it was given to speak great things and 
blasphemies. How natural it was for him, possessing, as 
he did, absolute power, to speak contemptuously of Christ, 
and to boast of his ability to destroy the new sect, or 



CHAPTER XIII. 93 

faction, as he might please to term it. For forty -two 
months power was given to him to open his mouth " in blas- 
phemy against God, to blaspheme His name, and His taber- 
nacle, and them that dwell in heaven." The imprecations 
of vengeance which this bloody persecutor would utter 
against the church, and the God of the church — at the 
same time claiming for himself divine honors — was the 
blasphemy of which he was guilty. But the power to 
persecute, and to wage a destructive persecution, was the 
power which by way of eminence was given to him — 
which he was permitted, by God, for a limited and specified 
time to exercise, for the accomplishment of His own wise 
and gracious purposes. The vast extent of the dominions 
of this persecutor is expressed by the language, that power 
was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 
It was no ordinary individual, no petty prince, but a mighty 
ruler, whose dominions were nearly co-extensive with the 
boundaries of the known world, who was here pointed out 
as the persecutor of those who kept the commandments of 
God. He was viewed with superstitious reverence by 
these nations, who all stood ready to carry his decrees into 
execution. Such was the fierce and mighty persecutor. 
He commenced his bitter and bloody persecution of Chris- 
tians — than which there is nothing more horrible on the 
pages of history — in the latter part of Nov., A.D. 64. His 
death took place, and the persecution ended, on the 9th of 
June, A.D. 68. Here, then, we have the period of the 
forty-two months, or three and a half years. " If any man 
have an ear, let him hear. He that leadeth into captivity 
shall go into captivity ; he that killeth with the sword, must 
be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and faith 
of the saints." Thus are foretold the signal judgments 
which were to befall the beast, or the persecuting power, of 
which Nero was one of the principal representatives. It 



94 REVELATION. 

is a striking comment on this passage, that Nero actually 
fled from Rome, with the view of concealing himself 
from his enemies, and that when he fell into their hands, 
his own sword was the weapon which inflicted the mortal 
wound. Other pagan enemies of God and His church 
were as remarkably punished and tormented as they tor- 
mented others. It was the assurance that God would thus 
become their vindicator, which afforded consolation to those 
who were John's companions in tribulation, and such 
faithful Christians as were called to suffer during the ten 
persecutions. They needed just such consolation as this 
assurance afforded ; for their faith and patience were to be 
sorely tried. 



PART FOURTH. 

PAPAL PERSECUTIONS AND ERRORS, AND THEIR END 

CHAPS. XIII. 11-XIX. 

We come now, according to the analysis made of this 
book, to the revelation of the anti-Christian power of Papal 
Rome, and the end of that power. The prophet having 
finished the description of the persecuting power of Pagan 
Rome, and its overthrow, proceeds to predict a persecuting 
power which would not be developed until long after the 
Christians, for whose consolation he immediately wrote, 
had been called from this earthly scene to their account 
and their reward. But this, nevertheless, would subserve 
to fortify and console their minds, because the destruction 
of future enemies would convince or remind them that the 
church is dear to its great and exalted Head, as the apple 
of His eye ; and that no efforts for its injury will ever 
prosper. The predictions, on which we now enter, are 
specially interesting, because the fulfilment of them is, in 
part, still future. They assure us of the glorious deliver- 
ances which God will accomplish for Zion, the city of our 
habitation ; and that portion unfulfilled occurs in a series 
of predictions which, up to a certain point, have been sig- 
nally and progressively accomplished. 

11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth ; and he had 

12 two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exercis- 
eth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth 
and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose 



96 REVELATION. 

13 deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he 
maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of 

14 men. And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by tlie means 
of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast ; 
saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an 
image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. 

The beast which represented pagan Rome rose up out 
of the sea; this beast having two horns like a lamb, came 
up out of the earth, or grew up out of the earth, with the 
silent and gradual progress of plants, growing out of the 
earth ; which indicates the gradual and imperceptible 
manner in which the errors of popery were introduced. 
This beast had the appearance of a lamb, professed to have 
the meekness and mildness of that inoffensive animal, the 
name of which, in this book, is frequently applied as an 
expressive symbol of the true Head of the Church. But 
although he had the outward semblance of a lamb, he had 
a voice like the dragon ; that is, he resembled the " Ro- 
man emperors in usurping divine titles and honors, in com- 
manding idolatry, and in persecuting and slaying the true 
worshippers of God and faithful servants of Jesus Christ." 
And he exerciseth all the power of the first least. Papal 
Rome has always claimed temporal as well as spiritual 
authority ; it united, as observed by Whiston, " all the 
distinct kingdoms of the Roman empire, and by joining 
with them procures them a blind obedience from their sub- 
jects ; and so it is the occasion of the preservation of the 
old Roman empire in some kind of unity, and name, and 
strength." He causeih the earth, and them which dwell 
therein, to worship the first beast. On this passage there 
can be no better commentary than that which is furnished 
in Dr. Middleton's " Letter from Rome, on the similarity 
between Popery and Paganism." This learned and pol- 
ished writer informs us that the object of his visit to Rome, 
was to make researches into some branches of its antiqui- 



CHAPTER XIII. 97 

ties, for which his general studies had given him a parti- 
cular fondness, and that it was his resolution to spend as 
little time as possible in noticing the fopperies and ridicu- 
lous ceremonies of the modern religion of the place. In a 
word, it was his design to concern himself exclusively with 
the antiquities of ancient pagan Rome. But he informs us 
that the very reason which he thought would have pre- 
vented him from noticing the religion of modern Rome, 
was the chief cause that led him to pay so much attention 
to it; " for nothing," to use his own language, " I found, 
concurred so much with my original intention of convers- 
ing with the ancients, or so much helped my imagination 
to fancy myself wandering about in old heathen Rome, 
as to observe and attend to their religious worship ; all 
whose ceremonies appeared plainly to have been copied 
from the rituals of primitive paganism, as if handed down 
by an uninterrupted succession from the priests of old to 
the priests of new Rome ; whilst each of them readily ex- 
plained and called to mind some passage of a classic author, 
where the same ceremony was described, as transacted in 
the same form and manner, and in the same place, where 
I now saw it executed before my eyes ; so that as oft as I 
was present at any religious exercises in their churches, it 
was more natural to fancy myself looking on at some 
solemn act of idolatry in old Rome, than assisting at a 
worship instituted on the principles, and formed upon the 
plan of Christianity." 

Dr. M. proceeds to mention a number of popish cere- 
monies, and to show that they had their origin in those of 
pagan Rome. The use of incense or perfumes, of holy 
water, of lamps and wax candles, of pictures and votive 
offerings, are customs all borrowed from the heathen. 
The very composition of this holy water was the same 
among the heathen as it is now among the papists, being 

9 



98 REVELATION 

nothing more than a mixture of salt with common water ; 
and the form of the sprinkling brush the same as that 
which the priests now make use of. He describes the 
last scene and finishing act of genuine idolatry in crowds 
of bigoted votaries, prostrating themselves before some 
image of wood or stone, and paying divine honors to an 
idol of their own erecting. He justifies his use of the 
term idolatry, by quoting the language of Jerome, that " by 
idols, are to be understood the images of the dead." And 
he shows that the church of Rome, in its present practice, 
has found means, by a change only of name, to retain the 
same thing ; and that by substituting saints in the place of 
the old demi-gods, this church has set up idols of their 
own, instead of those of their forefathers. He even main- 
tains that the statues which the old Romans erected to the 
honor of their deities have not, in all cases, been removed, 
but have been retained, consecrated anew by the impo- 
sition of a Christian name. In the church of St. Agnes 
an antique statue of a young Bacchus was shown him, 
which was worshipped under the title of a female saint. 
It is added, in a note, that " an image now standing at 
Rome, and adored as that of St. Peter, was once an im- 
age of Jupiter. The name has been changed, but the 
substance and form remain the same." The Pantheon, a 
heathen temple, which of old was dedicated to Jupiter and 
all the gods, was reconsecrated by Boniface the Fourth, to 
the Virgin and all the saints. " It is just the same," Mid- 
dleton continues, " in all the other heathen temples that 
still remain in Rome ; they have only pulled down one 
idol to set up another, and changed rather the name than 
the object of their worship. Thus the little temple of 
Vesta, near the Tiber, mentioned by Horace, is now pos- 
sessed by the Madonna of the Sun ; that of Fortuna Viri- 
lis, by Mary the Egyptian; that of Saturn, where the 



CHAPTER XIII. 99 

public treasure was anciently kept, by St. Adrian ; that 
of Romulus and Remus, in the Via Sacra, by two other 
brothers, Cosmos and Damianus ; that of Antonine the 
godly, by Laurence the saint. But for my part, I should 
sooner be tempted to prostrate myself before the statue of 
a Romulus or an Antonine, than that of a Laurence or a 
Damian ; and give divine honors rather with pagan Rome, 
to the founders of empires, than with popish Rome, to the 
founders of monasteries." Again he says, " In their 
very priesthood they have contrived, one would think, to 
keep up as near a resemblance as they could to that of 
pagan Rome ; and the sovereign pontiff, instead of deri- 
ving his succession from St. Peter, (who, if ever he was at 
Rome, did not reside there at least in any worldly pomp 
and splendor,) may, with more reason, and a much better 
plea, style himself the successor of Pontifex Maximus, or 
chief priest of old Rome, whose authority and dignity was 
the greatest in the republic." " The great variety of their 
religious orders and societies of priests, seems to have been 
formed upon the plan of the old colleges or fraternities of 
the Augurs, Pontifices, Salii, Fratres Arvales, &c." This 
conformity between the rites and usages of the Roman 
Catholic church, and the ritual of ancient heathen Rome, 
was encouraged and promoted by the popes and fathers of 
that church, in order to conciliate the heathen, and ac- 
commodate Christianity to their habits and wishes. Mo- 
sheim, speaking of the fourth century, says, " The Chris- 
tian bishops introduced, with but slight alterations, into the 
Christian worship, those rites and institutions by which 
formerly the Greeks, Romans, and other pagans, had 
manifested their reverence towards their imaginary dei- 
ties ; supposing that the people would more readily embrace 
Christianity, if they perceived the rites handed down to 
them from their fathers still existing unchanged among 



100 REVELATION. 

the Christians, and saw that Christ and the martyrs were 
worshipped in the same manner as formerly their gods 
were. There was of course little difference in these times 
between the public worship of the Christians and that of 
the Greeks and Romans. In both there were splendid 
robes, mitres, tiaras, wax tapers, crosiers, processions, 
lustrations, images, gold and silver vases, and innumerable 
other things alike." 

The first beast here mentioned, to whom worship was 
constrained by the beast that came up out of the earth, is, 
by the expression, whose deadly wound was healed, clearly 
identified with the beast, mentioned ch. xiii. 1-3, which 
rose up out of the sea. And this reference, or allusion, 
confirms the interpretation there given of the healing of the 
deadly wound, as designed to prefigure the revival and 
preservation of the Roman power, in a new form, but with 
somewhat of its original ability and disposition to persecute 
and injure the cause of the Redeemer in the world. The 
beast that had a wound by the sword and did live, survived, 
in the image that was made to him, and was worshipped by 
men, precisely as the beast himself had been worshipped. 

In the thirteenth and fourteenth verses, it is foretold that 
this new beast — by which we understand Papal Rome — 
would profess to work miracles. Instances are cited, by 
interpreters, in which fire was pretended to have been 
brought from heaven by those whom the Romish church 
canonizes as saints. There may be allusion, it has also 
been supposed, to excommunications, which are called the 
thunders of the church, and which are accompanied by the 
ceremony of casting down burning torches from an elevated 
place, as symbols and emblems of fire from heaven. The 
Roman Catholic church makes great boast, even to this 
day, of its miracles, and on this ground lays claim to being 
considered the only true church ; but this pretence, it 



CHAPTER XIII. 101 

is here foretold, would be proof of a false or apostate 
church. 

15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the 
image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as 

16 would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And 
he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, 

17 to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads : And 
that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the 

18 name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. 
Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: 
for it is the number of a man ; and his number is Six hundred three- 
score and six. 

What are we to understand by " the image of the 
beast." Plainly, as before intimated, this refers to the 
popedom, or to the Pope himself, as the living representa- 
tive of this spiritual usurpation. Without the office, or a 
regular succession of claimants thereto, the usurpation 
would of course have no existence. By the temporal au- 
thority which the Pope by assuming perpetuates, and by 
preserving the old spirit of intolerance and cruelty, as well 
as the idolatrous ritual of pagan Rome, he may be said to 
be an image to the beast which had the wound by a sword, 
and did live. This image of the beast speaks ; i. e., 
utters his decretals, excommunications, and sentences of 
death, and has power to put them into execution. In a 
word, he succeeds to the same arbitrary sway which the 
emperors of Rome possessed in the heathen world. In the 
sixteenth verse, there is an allusion to an ancient custom 
by which slaves received the mark of their masters, and 
soldiers of their commanders, by some letter or character 
on their right hands, or their foreheads, designed to show 
the strict and abject servitude to which the Pope would 
bring the inhabitants of the earth, small and great. All 
who had not the mark of the beast — that is, would not own 
subjection to him — were to be deprived of political privi- 

9* 



102 REVELATION. 

leges, and even prohibited from traffic and commerce. In 
fulfillment of this, it is related that, during the reign of 
William the conqueror, none but avowed Roman Catho- 
lics, among his subjects, were permitted to buy and sell. 
Pope Alexander III. published an edict in which he pro- 
hibited, upon pain of anathema, any Roman Catholic from 
showing kindness or favor to the Waldenses and Albigenses, 
and from trading with them. Under the same Pope, the 
synod of Tours, in France, ordered that " no man should 
presume to receive or assist them, nor hold any communi- 
cation with them in selling and buying." In a bull, by 
Pope Martin V., after the council of Constance, his subjects 
were commanded not to permit the heretics to own houses, 
or enter into contracts, or carry on commerce. It is 
worthy of note that a similar edict, as noticed by the 
learned Joseph Mede, was published by the pagan emperor 
Dioclesian, in the bloody persecution he carried on against 
the Christians. It was thus that the beast with two horns, 
like a lamb, " spake as a dragon f 9 it was thus that the 
beast with the deadly wound revived, and made his power 
felt once more. 

The prophet now proceeds to give the number of the 
name of the beast, or to express it in numerals, according 
to a method practised by the ancients. As in English we 
often express numbers by the Roman letters, so the letters 
of the alphabet, in the language in which this book was 
written, stand for numbers. In that portion of the Intro- 
duction to this work, which relates to the date of the 
Apocalypse, a passage was quoted from Irenceus (Cont. 
Haeres, v. 30,) in which he argues, that nothing should 
be rashly affirmed in determining who was pointed out by 
the number 666 ; for if it had been important clearly to 
have published his name, without any mystical expressions, 
at that time, it would have been done by John himself. 



CHAPTER XIII. 103 

He refers to the fact, that the number of this name may 
be made to agree with a variety of names ; but, at the 
same time, he speaks of it as undoubtedly expressing the 
name of anti-Christ. After these cautions against those 
fanciful interpretations, which might be made out from the 
number 666, he mentions several names as answering to 
this number. Among them, he gives that of AA TEIN02, 
Lateinus ; i. e. Latin ; as very probably containing it. 
Taking the letters in their order, and giving them their 
value, according to the system of notation in use among the 
Greeks, we have 30+1+300+5+10+50+70+200=666. 
It becomes us to imitate the modest caution of Irenseus ; 
but it has been well remarked by Mr. Pyle, in his Para- 
phrase, as quoted by Bishop Newton, that " no other word 
in any language, can be found to express both the same 
number and the same thing. After the division of the 
empire, the people of the church of Rome were called 
Latins, And to the present day that church is not unfre- 
quently called the Latin church. And, as has been very 
pointedly observed, no other name can be more appropriate, 
for with them every thing is turned into Latin. Prayers, 
hymns, canons, bulls, were all written in Latin. Mass is 
said, and the Scriptures are read, in Latin. The council 
of Trent even declared the Latin translation to be the only 
authentic version of the Scriptures. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

1 And I looked, and lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him 
an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name writ- 

2 ten in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice 
of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder : and I heard the 

£ voice of harpers harping with their harps. And they sung as it were 
a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the 
elders : and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty 

4 and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are 
they which were not denied with women ; for they are virgins. These 
are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These 
were redeemed from among men, being the first-fruits unto God and 

5 to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile : for they are 
without fault before the throne of God. 

In this chapter, the prophet records the glorious vision 
ci' the true Lamb on Mount Z ion, and the worship rendered 
T Iim by the hundred forty and four thousand. The scene 
c most evidently laid in heaven, for as the voice of the 
many waters and the voice of the harpers, which John 
**4»ard, came from that world, it would be altogether gratui- 

.is to suppose, that, by Mount Sion, is here meant the 
earthly Zion. Moreover, the 144,000, before explained 
as referring to the Jews who were converted to Christ pre- 
vious to the destruction of Jerusalem, are represented as 
singing before the throne of God the new song. Of course 
it must be supposed that they were all deceased. This 
proves that this part of the revelation refers to a period 
considerably posterior to the overthrow of the Jewish na- 
tion, and is fatal to the theory of those interpreters who 
regard the persecutions foretold in this connexion, as being 
those which were inflicted by the pagan emperors of Rome. 
After the melancholy picture in the predictions of the apos- 



CHAPTER XIV. 105 

tacy and corruptions of the church of Rome, represented 
by a beast which had the appearance of a Iamb, the apoca- 
lyptist is permitted to have this vision (and blessed also is 
he that readeth the words of this prophecy !) of the en- 
throned and conquering Son of God, and to listen to the 
new song sung before the throne. The scene of bliss and 
purity presented to his enraptured eye, stands in striking 
contrast with the deceits and corruptions of the apostate 
church of Rome. And how admirably adapted was this 
vision of the victory and felicity of the 144,000, once ex- 
posed to the bitter hostility of Jewish and pagan persecu- 
tors, (for they were exposed to both,) to strengthen the faith 
and impart comfort to the few Christians who should keep 
the commandments of God in the midst of papal enemies ! 
As in former parts of this precious book, in the midst of 
predictions of the darkest times, glimpses are given of a 
brighter day, so here the prophecy is momentarily arrested 
to give a reassurance of ultimate victory. 

6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the ever- 
lasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to 

7 every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a 
loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his 
judgment is come : and worship him that made heaven, and earth, 
and the sea. and the fountains of waters. 

By the angel flying through the midst of heaven, having 
the everlasting Gospel to preach, we have a figurative re- 
presentation of the future spread and ultimate triumph of 
the Gospel. Occurring as it does in the midst of predic- 
tions which relate to the corruptions and abuses of Rome, 
how it must have animated, and may still serve to animate, 
the faith of God's people ! 

8 And there followed another angel, saying. Babylon is fallen, is fallen, 
that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the 
wrath of her fornication. 



106 REVELATION. 

Ancient Babylon was one of the most splendid and power- 
ful of heathen cities. It was to this city that God's chosen 
people were carried captive, and where they were greatly 
oppressed. It was the capital of a vast empire, the reli- 
gion of which was idolatry, and the government of which 
was in the hands of a single despot, whose arbitrary will, 
both in respect to civil affairs, and the idols which the peo- 
ple might worship, was the supreme law. How appropri- 
ate an emblem of Rome was this powerful city ! By the 
symbol of the second angel following, " saying, Babylon is 
fallen, is fallen," we have a prediction of the end of the 
papal persecuting power ; and the language in which it is 
expressed, is designed to set forth the certainty of its fulfil- 
ment. So inevitable is its fall, that the angel speaks of it 
as already fallen. Mystical Babylon was a fallen city 
when the divine decree went forth, that, on account of her 
abominations, she should fall. This prediction of the end 
is very naturally here introduced to prepare the way 
for the revelation of those judgments by which it is to be 
brought about. 

9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any 
man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark on his fore- 

10 head, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath 
of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his in- 
dignation : and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the 

11 presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And 
the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever; and they 
have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, 

12 and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the pa- 
tience of the saints : here are they that keep the commandments of 

13. God, and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven, 
saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord 
from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their 
labours ; and their works do follow them. 

In these verses are foretold the future everlasting mise- 
ries of those who consent to serve the beast, or See of Rome. 



CHAPTER XIV. 107 

It is here taught not only that the wrath of God will be 
poured out, without any alleviation, on them, but by ex- 
pressions which cannot be mistaken, it is taught that their 
torment will be eternal. But how different would be the 
lot of those that keep the commandments of God, and the 
faith of Jesus ! And how suited it was to encourage the 
tried and persecuted servants of God, to hold out in their 
patience, when John was commanded to write what was 
said to him by a voice from heaven, Blessed are the dead, 
&c. words which declare the blessedness of those who die 
in the Lord, especially such as die martyrs for the truth. 

14 And I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and upon the cloud one 
sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, 

15 and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the 
temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust 
in thy sickle, and reap : for the time is come for thee to reap ; for 

16 the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud 

17 thrust in his sickle on the earth ; and the earth was reaped. And 
another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also 

18 having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, 
which had power over fire : and cried with a loud cry to him, that had 
the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the 

19 clusters of the vine of the earth ; for her grapes are fully ripe. And 
the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine 
of the earth, and cast it into the great wine-press of the wrath of 

20 God. And the wine-press was trodden without the city, and blood 
came out of the wine-press, even unto the horse-bridles, by the 
space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs. 

To make a still deeper impression, and that the assu- 
rance of God's persecuted ones might be made doubly 
sure, we have here another symbol, designed to teach the 
same thing as before, viz., the destruction of the beast that 
grew up from the earth, in appearance like a lamb. 
Christ is described as coming in person, throned upon a 
cloud, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp 
sickle in his hand. The imagery of a harvest and a vin- 



108 REVELATION. 

tage refer to terrible judgments. Tne earth is described 
as reaped, the good grain to be gathered into the heavenly 
store-house, the tares to be burned in everlasting fire. 
The clusters of the vine are also gathered, and cast into 
the great wine-press of the wrath of God. This is a fa- 
vorite figure of the prophets to denote suffering, and the 
judgments of heaven. It is said that " blood came out of 
the wine-press even unto the horse-bridles, by the space 
of a thousand and six hundred furlongs." A great 
slaughter, we should naturally infer from the figure here 
employed, will attend the overthrow of the papal persecu- 
ting power. " The city," must be mystical Babylon, i. e. 
Rome. This slaughter would extend far beyond its walls. 
This general idea is perhaps all that was meant to be con- 
veyed, by the space here given, sixteen hundred furlongs. 
But it has been observed by Mede that the Stalo delta 
Chiesa, or the territory of the church, over which the pope 
is the acknowledged temporal head, extending from the 
city of Rome to the banks of the Po and the marshes of 
Verona, contains 200 Italian miles, equal to 1,600 fur- 
longs. The judgments here foretold, it cannot be doubted, 
are to fall in a peculiar manner on this territory. 



CHAPTER XV. 

1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven 
angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the 

2 wrath of God. And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with 
fire ; and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over 
his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, 

3 stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing 
the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, 
saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty *, 

4 just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not 
fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy namel for thou only art holy: 
for all nations shall come and worship before thee ; for thy judg- 

5 ments are made manifest. And after that I looked, and behold, the 
temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened: 

6 And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven 
plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts 

7 girded with golden girdles. And one of the four beasts gave unto 
the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who 

8 liveth for ever and ever. And the temple was filled with smoke 
from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able 
to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels 
were fulfilled. 

Here commences the vision of the seven vials, contain- 
ing the seven last plagues, which, when poured out, would 
complete the destruction of the kingdom of the beast, or the 
empire of anti-Christ. As the seven trumpets are inclu- 
ded under the seventh seal, so the seven vials are included 
under the seventh trumpet. 

But the main subject of this chapter is a preparatory- 
vision of the happiness and victory of those who, in life- 
time, had refused to submit to the authority of the beast, 
and had consequently been persecuted by him. The de- 
sign of its introduction here, is similar to that of the vision 



110 REVELATION. 

of the 144,000, noticed ch. xiv. 1-5, namely, to throw 
light into the dark picture, and to animate and console the 
afflicted people of God. This victorious company were 
standing on a sea of glass, or on an extended pavement, 
resembling clear glass, variegated with a red or fiery 
color. They had the harps of God in their hands, and 
they sung the song of Moses, and the song of the Lamb — 
" Thou only art holy ; for all nations shall come and wor- 
ship before thee ; for thy judgments are made manifest." 

John next sees the temple of the tabernacle of the testi- 
mony in heaven opened, and the seven angels come out 
arrayed in pure white linen, with golden girdles. And 
one of the four living creatures gave to each of them a 
golden vial. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple, saying to the seven 
angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God 
upon the earth. 

The seven vials poured out is the subject of this chap- 
ter. They were designed to predict the judgments and 
ruin that were to befall papal Rome ; they were " full of 
the wrath of God, who liveth forever and ever." A voice 
out of the temple, i. e. the voice of the invisible God, com- 
manded the seven angels to go and " pour out the vials of 
the wrath of God upon the earth." 

2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth ; and 
there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had 
the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his 
image. 

The abandoned degeneracy of the popish clergy may 
very naturally be understood as foretold under the figure 
of " a noisome and grievous sore." The idolatry of the 
men that worshipped the beast was punished by the vices 
and exactions of those whom they credulously followed as 
spiritual guides. In order to obtain the intercessions of the 
Virgin Mary, or some pretended saint, the people were 
required to bring money, fowls, eggs, wax, butter, and 
every thing that was of any value to the priests. Relics 
were introduced to increase the revenues of bishops and 
monks. In one place a seller of indulgences might have 
been seen, with his head adorned with a feather from the 
wing of the archangel Michael. In another was shown a 
a fragment of Noah's ark ; some soot from the furnace of 
the three children ; a piece of wood from the crib of the 



112 REVELATION. 

infant Jesus. Impunity for crime was even purchased by 
money. 

The houses of the clergy were the resorts of the disso- 
lute, and the scene of numerous excesses. Some imitated 
the customs of the East, and had their harems. Priests 
frequented taverns, played dice, and finished their orgies 
by quarrels and blasphemy. They scaled walls in the 
night, committed disturbances and disorders of all kinds, 
and broke open doors and locks. — (See Hist, of the Ref. by 
Dr. Merle d'Aubigne, vol. L, pp. 45-54.) Such was the 
noisome and grievous sore which fell on the men who had 
the mark of the beast, and worshipped his image. 

3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea ; and it be- 
came as the blood of a dead man; and every living soul died in the 

4 sea. And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and 

5 fountains of waters : and they became blood. And I heard the 
angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and 

6 wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. For they have 
shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them 

7 blood to drink; for they are worthy. And I heard another out of 
the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are 
thy judgments. 

These two vials may be placed together, because there 
appears to be a close connexion between them, and their 
effects are similar. One was poured out upon the sea, 
and it became blood ; the other upon the rivers and foun- 
tains of waters, and they became blood. 

We shall derive assistance in understanding what was 
here predicted, by attending to the meaning of what John 
heard the angel of the waters say. He declared the 
righteousness of God, in visiting with retributive justice the 
kingdom of the beast, and those who had received his 
mark. As they had delighted in shedding blood, God gave 
them blood to drink. The persecutions of the saints, by 
Christian, or rather papal Rome, have far exceeded, both 



CHAPTER XVI. 113 

in degree and duration, those carried on by the pagan 
emperors of Rome. Indeed, it has been estimated that, in 
the persecutions of the church of Rome, more than ten 
times the number of Christians perished than in all the ten 
persecutions of the Roman emperors put together. 

Seas, rivers, and fountains turned into blood, are proper 
emblems of wide-spread devastation and slaughter. Here, 
then, as appears very evident to me, are foretold the bloody 
victories of Mohammed and his successors. Early in the 
seventh century, this impostor began to publish that he was 
favored with revelations from God. At first he met with 
but little success ; but he gradually acquired such ascen- 
dency among the Saracens, that they adopted his religion, 
enlisted under his banner, and he led them forth to propa- 
gate his religion with the sword. Many nations, where 
once the light of Christianity shone, but among whom the 
doctrines of Christianity had become greatly corrupted, 
were subdued. They desolated and oppressed the Greek 
and Latin churches ; they repeatedly besieged Constanti- 
nople, and even plundered Rome. Incredible as it may 
seem, yet, in the short space of little more than eighty 
years, the disciples of Mohammed had subdued Palestine, 
Syria, almost all Asia Minor, Portugal, Spain, India, 
Egypt, Numidia, all Barbary, even to the river Niger. 
Nor did they stop here till they had added a great part of 
Italy, as far as to the gates of Rome, and even the islands 
of the Mediterranean Sea. Such was the bloody scourge 
which God raised up against an apostate church. The 
Saracens even advanced into France, designing the con- 
quest of Europe, and the extermination of Christianity. 
Much blood was shed, but it was not for the extermination 
of Christianity that this scourge was raised up ; but for the 
chastisement of those who had shed the blood of the 
saints. 

10* 



114 REVELATION. 

In the beginning of the thirteenth century, the Ottoman 
power arose ; and it is from this point we may date the 
third vial. They were converted to the Mohammedan 
faith ; but, at a subsequent period, turned their arms against 
the Saracens, conquered them, and subjugated such parts 
of Asia and Africa as had submitted to the Mohammedan 
faith. Under the third sovereign of this new dynasty, the 
plan was conceived, a second time, of blotting from exist- 
ence the religion which professed to be derived from the 
Gospel. Thus did God continue to scourge the beast, and 
visit those who bore his mark with retributive justice. 
But Christianity w T as not to be exterminated. The Otto- 
mans were put in check by Tamerlane, who also professed 
the Mohammedan faith, and who, in his turn, for a season, 
held the retributive sword against a corrupt priesthood and 
apostate church. He employed the most inhuman severity 
against the Roman Catholics, of whom many suffered 
death, by his orders, in the most barbarous manner. 

But it was in the Crusades, those romantic expeditions, 
set on foot by popes, and potentates who acknowledged 
their supremacy — avowedly for the purpose of rescuing 
the holy sepulchre from the injidels, as the Mohammedans 
were called — that the greatest effusion of blood was caused. 
It was near the close of the eleventh century when Peter, 
the hermit, first preached the crusades. He painted the 
sufferings and insults of the pilgrims from the Turks, who 
had possession of Jerusalem. Persons of all ranks flew 
to arms. A spirit of enthusiasm soon pervaded all Europe ; 
and, for about two centuries, these quixotic but sanguinary 
expeditions disturbed Europe. The loss of human life was 
immense. It is computed that two millions of Europeans 
were buried in the East. Thus did the sea, the rivers, 
and fountains of waters become blood. 

" Thou art righteous, O Lord, because thou hast judged 



CHAPTER XVI. 115 

thus ; for they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, 
and thou hast given them blood to drink, for they are 
worthy.' 5 

8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun ; and power 

9 was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched 
with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power 
over these plagues : and they repented not to give him glory. 

This vial may be referred to the long and bloody wars 
in Italy, France, Germany, and Spain, occasioned by a 
schism in the papacy, from A.D. 1378 to A.D. 1530, there 
being three popes in three lines of succession at the same 
time. The vial is said to be poured out on the sun, i.e. 
upon the popedom. As a star may be interpreted to repre- 
sent a prince or ruler, civil or ecclesiastical, so the sun 
may represent a dynasty or form of government, civil or 
ecclesiastical. Under the sixth seal, it was interpreted to 
mean the Jewish nation ; and, under the fourth trumpet, 
the commonwealth or republic of ancient Rome ; here it 
means the spiritual dynasty of papal Rome. That this 
interpretation is the true one, receives support from the 
remarkable historical fact, that, during the continuance of 
this schism in the papacy, the seasons were hot and burn- 
ing, so much so, that the fruits of the earth were destroyed, 
and pestilential disorders occasioned. A pestilence, called 
the sweating sickness, began in England in 1517, and again 
in 1529, and extended into other countries, particularly 
Germany. Yet the inhabitants repented not to give God 
glory ; for, subsequent to this, the most violent persecu- 
tions were carried on against the Bohemians, the Lollards, 
the Huguenots, and all who favored the Reformation. 

10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast ; 
and his kingdom was full of darkness ; and they gnawed their tongues 

11 for pain, And blasphemed the God of heaven, because of their pains 
and their sores, and repented not of their deeds. 



116 REVELATION. 

This vial obviously refers to the Reformation. It was 
poured out on the seat of the beast ; that is, it was aimed 
at the supremacy of the pope, the grand usurpation, on 
which had Deen engrafted, from time to time, the other cor- 
ruptions of the church. WicklhTe and Huss prepared the 
way for such men as Luther, Zuingle, and Calvin, - ; On 
all sides, as the time for the pouring out of this vial drew 
near, " from above, and from beneath," to use the very 
language of Merle d'Aubigne, " was heard a low murmur, 
the forerunner of the thunderbolt that was about to fall. 
Providence, in its slow course, had prepared all things ; 
and even the passions, which God condemns, were to be 
turned, by His power, to the fulfilment of His purposes." 
The bolt fell, and the kingdom of the beast was full of 
darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain. This 
refers to the effect produced on the pope, the bishops, and 
priesthood — the malice and rage it excited within them, 
when those lion-hearted men, the reformers, stood up for 
the long-hidden truth, casting the fear of dungeons and 
gibbets to the winds. Amazement seized the minds of 
men who had long bowed in slavish fear to the supremacy 
of the pope. " In the space of a fortnight, " after Luther 
had nailed to the church door in Wittemberg the ninety- 
five propositions against the church of Rome, says the same 
admired historian, " they had spread through Germany ; 
within a month, they had run through all Christendom. 
They shook the very foundations of proud Rome ; threat- 
ened with instant ruin the walls, gates, and pillars of the 
papacy ; stunned and terrified its champions, and, at the 
same time, awakened from the slumber of error many 
thousands of men." As soon as the pope and his clergy 
had, in some measure, recovered from the first shock, they 
began to gnash with their teeth upon the bold, but mendi- 
cant monk. And they gnawed their tongues for pain, by 



CHAPTER XVI. 117 

reason of the powerful, searching, and condemning truths 
which he still fearlessly published to the world. But they 
"repented not of their deeds ;" for all the essential errors 
of papacy remain to this day — the celibacy of the clergy, 
auricular confession, worship of saints and relics, purga- 
tory, the mass, transubstantiation, and the supremacy and 
infallibility of the pope. 

An intelligent friend to whom the author, several years 
ago, submitted his views of this, as well as of other parts 
of the Apocalypse, suggested whether the Reformation, so 
great a blessing to the world, could possibly be meant in 
the fifth vial, inasmuch as the vials are said to hold the 
seven last plagues, and to be filled with the wrath of God. 
That the vials are symbolical of judgments, is perfectly 
obvious. But the difficulty of regarding the Reformation 
as symbolized by one of them is only apparent. It will be 
removed by considering that whilst it was one of the great- 
est blessings to the world, it was a disaster to the Roman 
Catholic church — a disaster more serious than all the san- 
guinary wars waged against it by the Saracens and Turks. 
The power and authority which it lost then it has never 
been able to regain. 

President Edwards, in his History of Redemption, ex- 
presses the opinion that the fifth vial was poured out at the 
Reformation. And Dr. D wight, as the present writer was 
peculiarly gratified in recently learning, advocates the 
same opinion. " That the Reformation was an event," is 
the language of Dr. D., " perfectly answering to this pro- 
phecy, will, I suppose, not be questioned ; as without vio- 
lence it plainly cannot. The seat of the beast is literally 
his throne, and symbolically his power. Every one knows 
that this great providential dispensation was directed im- 
mediately against the power of the Romish hierarchy. The 
pontiff, his court, his ordinary and extraordinary agents, 



118 REVELATION. 

his clergy universally, the secular princes, and the im- 
mense body of people under his control, were all agitated 
by a general convulsion. A large part of the dominions 
over which he held a spiritual sceptre revolted ; and, not- 
withstanding the immense efforts made by the emperor of 
Germany and his coadjutors, for the destruction of the 
Protestant cause, were finally rescued from their thraldom, 
and established in the full possession of religious liberty." 
(Discourse, delivered July 23, 1812, on the Public Fast, 
in the chapel of Yale College, p. 9.) 

12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphra- 
tes; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings 

13 of the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like 
frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of 

14 the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are 
the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings 
of the earth, and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of 

15 that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed 
is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, 

16 and they see his shame. And he gathereth them together in a place 
called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. 

It appears evident to me that we are now approaching 
the point which separates between the fulfilled and the un- 
fulfilled portions of this book. From the very nature of 
the subject, it is quite impossible to point out where this 
line certainly falls. In respect to prophecy generally, it 
appears to be necessary that some considerable time should 
elapse after the accomplishment of a prediction, before we 
can be qualified to decide in respect to it. As to the com- 
parative importance of passing events, it is obvious that 
we, the observers or the actors, cannot be dispassionate 
judges; we are not able to assign them their true position 
in the great current of human history. Past periods, which 
were full of interest to the then actors on the stage, and 
even seemed to them to cast all former periods into the 



CHAPTER XVI. 119 

shade, are now almost forgotten, or are perhaps summed 
up in a sentence or two of the philosophical historian, who 
sees in them a single link, or part of a link, in that great 
chain of providential events which runs through the an- 
nals of the world. If I were to venture to indicate where, 
in my own judgment, what refers to the past, in this book, 
ceases, or where to write the word future, as indicating 
that all that follows it remains to be fulfilled, it would be 
either between the fifth and the sixth, or the sixth and the 
seventh vials. As I incline to the opinion that this word 
might be more properly placed between the sixth and 
seventh vials, I shall proceed to give the reasons which go 
far to satisfy me that the sixth vial has been already poured 
out. They are substantially those which may be found 
in a discourse by Dr. Dwight, quoted on a preceding page. 
Dr. D. regards " the period in which we live," as in- 
cluded within the effusion of the seven vials. The fifth, 
as shown before, he considers as unquestionably poured 
out at the Reformation. Babylon being a symbol of the 
Romish spiritual empire, the great river Euphrates must 
be understood as symbolical of the wealth, strength, and 
safety of that empire. The kings of the East mean the 
destroyers of the spiritual Babylon. The unclean spirits 
are symbolical of bitter and violent enemies to Christianity. 
They were like frogs — that is, grovelling, clamorous, in- 
trusive, pertinacious in their modes of acting. They came 
out of the mouth of the dragon ; that is, the secular perse- 
cuting power of this spiritual empire ; and out of the mouth 
of the beast, or ecclesiastical persecuting power of the 
same empire ; and out of the mouth of the false prophet, 
primary agents of a corrupt priesthood, the clergy of the 
Romish church. They were the spirits of demons — malig- 
nant, hostile to human happiness and virtue, and enemies 
to God. Working miracles ; they did things wonderful 



120 REVELATION. 

and astonishing, the object of which was that they might 
assemble the kings of the earth to the battle of the great 
day of God Almighty. 

There is strong ground for the opinion that these prophe- 
cies were fulfilled at the time of the French Revolution. 
From the commencement of this revolution, the miseries 
which spread through the French kingdom, during M the 
reign of terror," or the domination of the infidels, extended 
also over surrounding countries. The great river Eu- 
phrates, or the sources of wealth and strength of papal 
Rome, were dried up. The revolutionary leaders seized 
on the property of princes, nobles, and the clergy, as their 
lawful prey. More than £200,000,000 are supposed to 
have fallen into their hands by one vast act of confiscation. 
The life, liberty, and property of every bordering nation 
were consumed. Italy, Sardinia, Switzerland, Belgium, 
Batavia, Germany, Prussia, Austria, bowed successively 
to the French arms. The world stood in amazement at the 
scene. Paris was a pandemonium, where every species 
of vice, crime, and impiety was perpetrated, not only with 
impunity, but with the applause of its desperate populace. 
For three days it was searched before a copy of the sacred 
Scriptures could be found. 

The unclean spirits, like frogs, are represented as coming 
out of the mouth of the dragon. They are symbolical of 
those bitter enemies of Christianity, the French infidels. 
To a great extent, this class was composed of the nobles, 
the gentry, and the literati of Roman Catholic countries — 
particularly the two principal ones, France and Germany. 
They came out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the 
mouth of the false prophet. Many of the clergy, and 
some of the higher orders, embarked in the design of the 
infidels. Few persons, it is said, rendered their system 
such important service as Briennes, archbishop of Toulouse. 



CHAPTER XVI. 121 

The Jesuits, too, were early infidels, in great numbers. 
But it would be sufficient to show that these unclean spirits 
sprung out of those countries whose inhabitants were the 
vassals of the Roman pontiff. 

They were the spirits of devils, working miracles. 
Their design was diabolical, which was no less than the 
destruction of the Christian religion. And not less so were 
the means they employed to bring it about. These were 
an endless number of falsehoods, perjury, treachery, 
treason, murder, robbery, oppression. They were atheis- 
tical, and more furiously hostile to God than any other men 
since the deluge. They thrust themselves into every office 
and situation in which mischief could be done by them. 
" The press groaned with their labors on all subjects, 
handled in all forms, which promised to be injurious to 
Christianity. From the magnificent encyclopedia, down 
to the farthing pamphlet, the hand-bill and the song, infi- 
delity descended in a regular progress, satisfied if she could 
only oppose God, and destroy mankind." The world 
stood astonished at their designs and their efforts. 

They went forth to the kings of the earth, and the whole 
world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God 
Almighty. These men intruded themselves into the courts 
and cabinets of princes, and spared no pains to excite them 
to hostilities. The emperors of Austria, France, and 
Russia ; the princes of the house of Bourbon ; the king 
of Prussia ; several of the British princes ; two kings of 
Sweden ; the various reigning princes of Germany and 
Italy, were all enlisted by these abandoned men. More- 
over, the emperor of Persia was engaged by a part of the 
same men, to embark in their great design. They 
seduced Tippoo Saib to his ruin, and embroiled the 
Mahrattas and Seiks, and the Spanish provinces on this 
continent, in the same contest. Thus were the kings and 

11 



122 REVELATION. 

kingdoms of the whole world gathered together to the great 
battle. 

This battle denotes a war in which the vengeance of 
Jehovah would be signally manifest. It is, therefore, 
styled the battle of that great day of God Almighty. The 
name, Armageddon, is a symbolical expression, which 
denotes the mountain of mourning, in reference to the 
destructive events which were to take place. The Euro- 
pean war, which began in 1792, is without a parallel in 
the history of man — whether we regard the number of 
nations engaged in it, the number of armies in the field, 
the number of battles, the multitude of the slain, the de- 
struction of cities, the depopulation of countries, or the 
immense ruin and devastation brought on the world. On 
the testimony of a French officer, three millions of French- 
men perished within the first four or five years of the 
Revolution. Such was the waste of human life, that the 
fields and vineyards of France were cultivated by women 
and old men. In a single province of France, La Vendee, 
700,000 fell by the hand of violence. To this destruction 
there must have been a melancholy proportion in many 
other Roman Catholic countries. It will be no excessive 
estimate if we suppose 10,000,000 to have perished in the 
wars occasioned by the French Revolution, belonging prin- 
cipally to the Romish and Greek churches. 

The water of the great river Euphrates was in a great 
measure dried up ; that is, the sources from which the 
papal empire derived its wealth, strength, and safety, were 
cut off, or diverted into other channels. The property of 
princes, powerful nobles, and rich citizens, was confisca- 
ted, and untold millions were consumed in the support of 
armies. The sovereign pontiff himself was compelled to 
flee for his life, was taken, insulted, stripped of his wealth, 
deprived of his civil power, confined in prison, and trans- 



CHAPTER XVI. 123 

formed from the mighty ruler of Christendom into a depen- 
dent, beggared old man. In 1798, Napoleon Bonaparte 
deprived the Pope of his power to reign over the kings of 
the earth. The ecclesiastics in Spain, Portugal, Italy, 
France, and Germany, were deprived of their rich reve- 
nues. The papacy is by no means destroyed — the last 
vial has not yet been poured out — but it has received a 
blow, from that army which God gathered together in a 
place called Armageddon, from which it can never recover ; 
a blow by which, if it is not already done, the way of the 
kings of the East will be fully prepared. To this work 
of judgment the Saviour came " as a thief," in a manner 
as unexpected and sudden as it was astonishing and terrible. 

17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air ; and there 
came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, 

18 saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and light- 
nings ; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since 
men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. 

19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the 
nations fell : and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, 
to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. 

20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 

21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone 
about the weight of a talent : and men blasphemed God because of 
the plague of the hail ; for the plague thereof was exceeding great. 

This belongs to the Future. It predicts the complete 
overthrow of the spiritual Babylon ; i. e., the apostate 
church of Rome. The vial will be poured out into the air, 
and a great voice will be heard from the throne of God — It 
is done. The precise nature of the judgment or disaster 
by which this overthrow is to be accomplished, the event 
alone can show. Putting conjecture entirely aside as to 
the import of the symbols here employed, viz., the great 
earthquake, the dividing of the city into three parts, the 
flight of islands and mountains, and the great hail, we 



124 REVELATION. 

leave them to be made plain by coming events. We feel 
assured that some future interpreter will be able to supply 
all thai is necessary to illustrate that which they portend. 
The admonition to be watchful, given under the preced- 
ing vial, is no doubt equally appropriate here : Behold, I 
ccme as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth 
his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame. 
The high value of the Apocalypse as a practical book, 
which was particularly noticed in the Introduction, is here 
brought conspicuously to view. While Christ is coming 
in judgment on his foes, let Christians watch, and keep 
themselves pure. Let them be prepared for His coming. 
The great moral of this book to one class of men is, Re- 
pent, and come to the water ef life ; and to another class, 
Watch and pray, for ye know not what hour your Lord 
doth come. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, 
and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither ; I will show unto 
thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters; 

2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and 
the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of 

3 her fornication. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilder- 
ness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet-colored beast, full of 

4 names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the 
woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet-color, and decked with 
gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her 

5 hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And 
upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON 
THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMI- 

6 NATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken 
with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of 
Jesus : and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. 

In this chapter, together with the xviii. and xix., we 
have a more minute account of the abominations and im- 
postures of papal Rome, and of the final overthrow of that 
anti-Christian power. Having had the denouement given, 
in connexion with the act of pouring out the last vial, to 
make the action of the piece correspond with the preceding 
vials, we may regard what is contained in these three 
chapters as included under the seventh vial. This view is 
confirmed by the supposition of Bishop Newton, that the 
angel who came and talked with John was the seventh 
angel ; and that as grt&,t Babylon came in remembrance 
before God, under the seventh vial, the task of explaining 
to John " the judgment of the great whore (spiritual 
Babylon) that sitteth upon many waters," with peculiar 
propriety devolved on this angel. So that if we regard the 
contents of these three chapters simply as such an expla- 
in 



126 REVELATION. l 

nation, it will be proper, as is done in the analysis of this 
book, to consider the seventh vial as extending to the end 
of ch. xix. 

Fornication, in the figurative sense of Scripture, means 
idolatry. The chosen emblem is Babylon, because that 
city had been the most renowned among ancient idolatrous 
cities. Nearly all commentators, Romish as well as 
Protestant, agree that Rome is meant ; but that papal and 
not pagan Rome is meant, appears from considerations, 
which will be suggested at almost every step as we ad- 
vance. Bossuet, in his commentary, and other Romanists, 
apply all this part of the Apocalypse to heathen Rome. 
Some of the German critics do the same. Professor Lee, 
of Oxford, and Professor Stuart of Andover, among Eng- 
lish interpreters, consider Babylon as designating pagan 
Rome, both in its political and religious character. The 
leading reason assigned in support of this opinion appears 
to be this, that as it was the great object of this book to 
impart consolation to Christians suffering persecution, at 
the time it was written, it would have been foreign to this 
design to have predicted distant times, and the overthrow 
of future persecutors. 

That it was the primary design of the Apocalypse to 
comfort the persecuted, is an idea which we would main- 
tain, and have endeavored not to lose sight of in the pre- 
ceding pages. It has been shown that the destruction of 
the Jewish and pagan persecuting powers is most explicit- 
ly foretold by John, for the consolation of his companions 
in tribulation. How, we ask, does it militate with the 
same design, that he should then proceed to foretell that a 
similar destruction would befall every other persecuting 
power that might arise against the church 1 Would it not 
prove how dear that church is to the Lord ? Besides, is 
there no consolation to be derived from predictions which 



CHAPTER XVII. 127 

clearly relate to the most distant future ? The resurrec- 
tion of the saints at the last day has always been, and will 
continue to be, one of the principal sources of consolation 
to the afflicted. Who ever imagined, that because the 
prophecy which assures us of it, has respect to the most 
distant future, it is therefore not adapted to solace the 
minds of the afflicted ? At least one half of the Apoca- 
lypse is devoted to predicting the overthrow of the enemies 
of the Christian religion, who were active at the time it 
was written ; how, therefore, it can be pronounced incon- 
gruous or inapposite to regard the residue of the book as 
relating to the destruction of similar enemies, whom the 
God of prophecy must have foreseen would arise in future 
times, it is very hard to understand. x\nd it is equally 
hard to understand why the whole of an inspired book of 
scripture should be given for the consolation of believers 
in a single generation and age, and no specific prediction 
should be given, for the same end, in the case of Christians 
who were to suffer, to say the least, from persecutions 
equally sanguinary. To make the consolation of Chris- 
tians, suffering in later times, depend exclusively upon the 
analogy of God's providence — in other words, the opinion 
that all we can know respecting the destruction of perse- 
cutors who might arise posterior to the end of pagan Rome, 
we are to derive from the inference that God will destroy 
later enemies in like manner as he destroyed those more 
ancient — is equivalent to taking away all the consolation 
which prophecy in itself is adapted to impart. For it is 
obvious, that if the destruction of the Jewish and pagan 
persecuting powers had not been foretold to the Christians 
of John's generation, the history of these events would have 
been just as effectual in consoling those who have suffered 
under persecuting papal Rome, by confirming the down- 
fall of Romanism. For the same end, that John, " to 



128 REVELATION. 

crown all, looks through the vista of distant ages, and 
sees that the setting sun of the church militant will be 
glorious," viz., the consolation of persecuted Christians — in 
looking through that vista, he lingers to depict a perse- 
cuting power, that met his prophetic eye, second to none 
in shedding the blood of the saints. 

Other reasons for understanding pagan rather than papal 
Rome as predicted in this portion of the Apocalypse under 
examination, are sufficiently set aside by the exposition 
adopted in this volume. For example, the idolatry spoken 
of, chap. xiii. 1-10, we have maintained to be the idolatry 
of heathen Rome, and the beast that rose up from the sea 
to be a symbol of the imperial magistracy of Rome. By 
the beast from the land, chap. xiii. 11, we understand papal 
Rome, and by " the false prophet," the priesthood of Rome, 
with the pope at their head, this latter beast representing 
not merely the ecclesiastical but the civil power, which 
the church of Rome claimed, and at length came to possess. 
We have already had occasion to notice Rev. xvii. 7-12, 
and in the sequel it will come into view again. The beast 
mentioned in this passage as carrying the woman, is un- 
questionably the beast from the sea, which has been ex- 
plained to be a symbol of pagan Rome ; and the meaning 
is, that papal Rome succeeded to the authority and cruel 
despotism of pagan Rome, and was helped into the posses- 
sion of it by the latter. 

The reader will pardon what may seem to be a digres- 
sion in the preceding remarks. We now return to the 
passage, the import of which we have undertaken to show. 
Fornication, it was mentioned, is figurative, after the man- 
ner of the ancient prophets, of idolatry. This was the 
fornication which the kings of the earth committed with 
the woman on a scarlet-colored beast. Here, therefore, 
we are presented with one of those considerations which 



CHAPTER XVII. V29 

go to prove that the apostate church of Rome is meant by 
this woman. Pagan Rome, it is well known, was never 
at any pains to disseminate her false system of religion. 
Her great ambition was military conquest ; but conquered 
nations she permitted to retain their forms of religion, as 
in the case of the Jews. Can any attempt, on the part of 
the Roman empire, be shown to overturn the religion of 
the Jews, and substitute that of paganism in its room ? It 
might, on the contrary, with more truth be said, that pagan 
Rome imported the superstitions and idolatry of other na- 
tions, as, for example of the Greeks, than that she spread 
her own in other countries. She did not intoxicate and 
delude, by acts of deception and lying vanities, the other 
nations of the earth ; she sent her victorious legions to lay 
waste and destroy, and then ruled over them with a rod of 
iron. But papal Rome has made the kings and inhabitants 
of the earth drunk with the wine of her fornication ; she 
has deluded them with her splendid and fascinating ritual, 
borrowed, as we have already shown, in its main features, 
from the idolatry of ancient Rome. To introduce and en- 
force this ritual, in all its minute, and often ridiculous par- 
ticulars, the fires of the stake have been kindled, and the 
sword crimsoned with blood. Kings and princes have been 
filled with a strange infatuation by partaking of the abo- 
minations which the woman mingles in her " golden cup." 
They have consented to perform the most slavish and 
sycophantic offices, and some have even been ambitious of 
holding the stirrup of " his Holiness." It is related of 
Pepin, king of France, that when pope Stephen visited his 
dominions, he went out, accompanied by the queen, his 
sons, and most of the French nobility, to meet him. As 
he approached, Pepin dismounted from his horse, and fell 
prostrate on the ground ; and not suffering the Pope to 
dismount, he attended him part of the way on foot, per- 



130 REVELATION. 

forming, according to the Romish historian Anastasius, 
" the office of his groom or equerry." Kings have led their 
forces to the field in defence of the pope ; s tyranny, or to 
enforce his usurpations of political power ; and sometimes 
they have been compelled to appease his displeasure by 
submitting to the most degrading acts of humiliation. 

The vision was laid in the wilderness or desert. John 
"saw a woman sit upon a scarlet-colored beast." In 
sculpture and painting, cities and nations are often rep- 
resented by the figure of a woman. The symbol of 
our own republic is that of a female figure ; the symbol 
of ancient Rome, as represented on her coin, was a woman 
seated on a lion. By the woman, then, we understand the 
church of Rome. In chap. xii. 1, under the figure of a 
woman in most splendid apparel, we have a representation 
of the true church of Christ ; there seems therefore to be 
a peculiar propriety in understanding, by a female arrayed 
in the meretricious ornaments of a courtesan, a fallen or 
apostate church, whilst there is nothing in such a figure 
specially appropriate to a civil state, like that of ancient 
Rome. By the scarlet-colored beast, we understand the 
empire of pagan Rome. The robes of Roman emperors 
and magistrates were of scarlet. The beast was full of 
the names of blasphemy. The applicability of this de- 
scription to heathen Rome has been shown before, from 
the emperors receiving divine titles ; it may be added that 
the city of Rome was styled " the Eternal City," " the 
Goddess of the Earth," and by other blasphemous names. 
" Having seven heads and ten horns," which is precisely 
the description of pagan Rome in the thirteenth chapter. 
The woman is represented as seated on a beast which sym- 
bolized the empire of Rome, or its supreme magistracy, 
because the Roman Catholic church succeeded to a similar 



CHAPTER XVII. 131 

wide-spread dominion in the church, and was facilitated in 
its usurpations by an alliance with the state. 

The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, which, 
it is well known, has been the color of the pontifical robes 
of popes and cardinals. " Decked with gold and precious 
stones and pearls;" in the splendor and magnificence of 
her vestments and ornaments of all kinds, papal Rome has 
far excelled pagan Rome. Like a fallen woman who 
prides herself upon her finery, this costly and gaudy array 
was formerly the boast of papists. Bishop Newton refers 
to a Romish author, Alexander Donatus, and the same is 
mentioned by Vitringa, who drew a comparison between 
ancient and modern Rome, and asserted the superiority of 
his own church in the pomp and splendor of religion. 
The whole of Bishop Newton's dissertation on this part of 
the Apocalypse is exceedingly able and satisfactory ; and 
the author would here acknowledge his indebtedness to 
this writer for many of the facts introduced to illustrate 
the striking manner in which the church of Rome answers 
to the description which is here given. But to proceed : 
the mitres of one of the popes (Paul II.) was adorned 
" with diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, chrysolites, jaspers, 
and all manner of precious stones." Addison, in his tra- 
vels, speaking of the vast expense in the number, rarity, 
and richness of the jewels with which one of the Romish 
images was honored, says that the sight " as much sur- 
passed his expectation, as other sights have generally fall- 
en short of it. Silver can scarce find an admission, and 
gold itself looks but poorly amongst such an incredible 
number of precious stones." 

Upon her forehead the woman had her name written. 
This name, as given by our translators, is, Mystery, 
Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots and 
abominations of the earth. Bloomfield thinks that 



132 REVELATION. 

mystery is not a part of the inscription, but should be con- 
strued in an adjective sense, with ?iame, as if it were myste- 
rious name* It is worthy of mention here, however, that 
it has been asserted by some respectable writers, that, 
prior to the Reformation, the word mystery was inscribed 
in golden letters on the front of the pope's mitre. But, as 
it has been controverted by writers on the other side, be 
this as it may, it cannot be denied that the ancient mitres 
had on them emblematic inscriptions. Mystery was the 
title under which Paul foretold the Roman apostacy in his 
second Epistle to the Thessalonians, chap. ii. 7. Papal 
Rome might be called " Mystery," because she was the 
" mystery of iniquity," and was the mystical Babylon. 
She styles herself " holy mother," and affects the title " the 
catholic church," and other vaunting, high-sounding names, 
designed to secure a superstitious reverence ; and there- 
fore may she be styled Babylon the Great. The mass, 
purgatory, indulgences, penances, which slie has invented, 
sitting in the temple of God, and affecting divine titles, 
makes her " the mother of harlots and abominations of the 
earth." 

But understanding mystery as having an adjective sense, 
referring to name, the inquiry naturally arises, in what 
way "Babylon the Great," applied to ancient heathen 
Rome, could have been a mysterious appellation. There 
is no mystery in the application of the name of one cele- 
brated pagan city to another ; " but it is indeed a mystery, 
that a Christian city, professing and boasting herself to be 
the city of God, should prove another Babylon in idolatry, 
and in cruelty to the people of God." 

The woman is moreover described as "drunken with 
the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs 
of Jesus." In the war which papal Rome carried on 
against the Albigenses and Waldenses, there perished of 



CHAPTER XVII. 133 

these pious Christians one million in France alone. In lit- 
tle more than thirty years after the institution of the order 
of the Jesuits, there were slain nine hundred thousand 
Christians. In the Netherlands, during a few years, thirty- 
six thousand persons perished by the hands of the execu- 
tioner. It has been estimated that in the persecutions car- 
ried on by the Roman Catholic church, more than ten 
times the number of Christians were massacred than were 
slain in the whole ten persecutions of the Roman empire. 
Can it then be supposed, that whilst the latter, or the first 
merely, of these ten persecutions, that under Nero, is so 
fully predicted, there is no definite or distinct prediction 
of persecutions that were to be more sanguinary, and under 
which the people of God would equally need consolation ? 
Moreover, John says, when he saw the woman drunk with 
the blood of the saints, he wondered with great admiration. 
If he had supposed that heathen Rome was meant by the 
woman, how could what he saw have been a matter of 
surprise to him ? Had he not seen with his own eyes, and 
himself suffered from, the fierce persecutions of Nero ? 
" That a city," remarks Bishop Newton, " professedly 
Christian, should wanton and riot in the blood of Chris- 
tians, might well be a subject of astonishment. 5 ' 

7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel % I will 
tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth 

8 her, which hath the seven heads, and ten horns. The beast that 
thou sawest, was, and is not ; and shall ascend out of the bottom- 
less pit, and go into perdition : and they that dwell on the earth 
shall wonder, (whose names were not written in the book of life 
from the foundation of the world,) when they behold the beast that 

9 was, and is not, and yet is. And here is the mind which hath wis- 
dom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman 

1 sitteth. And there are seven kings ; five are fallen, and one is, 
and the other is not yet come ; and when he cometh, he must con- 

1 1 tinue a short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is 

12 the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. And the 

12 



134 REVELATION. 

ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no 
kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the 

13 beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and 

14 strength unto the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, 
and the Lamb shall overcome them : for he is Lord of lords, and 
King of kings; and they that are with him are called, and chosen, 

15 and faithful. And he saith unto me, The waters which thou saw- 
est, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and 

16 nations, and tongues. And the ten horns which thou sawest upon 
the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate 

17 and naked, and shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire. For 
God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and 
give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be 

18 fulfilled. And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, 
which reigneth over the kings of the earth. 

The wonder of the apostle amounted to perplexity. 
" Wherefore didst thou marvel ?" said the angel-interpreter 
to him. He then proceeded to explain " the mystery of 
the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her." (An ex- 
position of this passage, as far as the twelfth verse, was 
given in the Introduction, where it was attempted to show 
that the Apocalypse bears internal evidence of having 
been written during the reign of Nero, or before the de- 
struction of Jerusalem. This of course will render un- 
necessary any extended account of its meaning here.) In 
fulfillment of his promise, the angel first proceeds to explain 
to John the mystery of the beast that carried the woman. 
He clearly identifies it with the beast that came from the 
sea, which, we have shown, must be understood as a sym- 
bol of imperial Rome. It was this beast that elevated the 
woman and carried her into power. It was the continu- 
ance and support, which she derived from imperial Rome, 
by which the church of Rome at length came to exercise 
a similar, or rather a more mighty and extended power 
over the nations. And here, by the way, another signal 
proof is suggested, that there is nothing incongruous in 



CHAPTER XVII. 135 

supposing that John, after completing the description of 
pagan persecutions, should proceed to predict those of 
papal Rome. If there be, as no one can deny, such an 
intimate connexion between pagan and papal Rome, if the 
latter derived its power — that power by which it could be- 
come a persecuting power — from the former, instead of being 
inapposite, would it not be most natural for the prophet to 
proceed to depict the overthrow of this new form or devel- 
opment of Roman hostility to the gospel of Christ ? Nay, 
would not his work have been fragmentary and incom- 
plete, if he had not done it. When the persecutions of 
pagan Rome ceased, the old root did not die ; a thrifty shoot 
had already sprung up, which grew rapidly, and soon 
overtopped the old decayed trunk, casting even a wider 
and more fearful shadow over the nations of the earth. 
Paul declares, 2 Thess. ii. 7, that the mystery of iniquity 
had begun to work in his day. The second beast, or the 
beast that came up from the land, emblematical of papal 
Rome, exercised all the power of the first beast, and caused 
the inhabitants of the earth to worship the first beast. 

In the eighth verse there is what may be very naturally 
explained, as an allusion to the popular belief in regard to 
Nero, that after disappearing for a time he would come 
again, as if he had risen from the dead. As the living 
representative or embodiment of the magistracy of imperial 
Rome, he is spoken of as " the beast that was, and is not, 
and yet is." It is only the instructed mind that can un- 
derstand what is meant here. John must not write what 
would lay him open to the charge of sedition, but he might 
employ expressions which the mind, possessed of wisdom 
or penetration, could understand. 

" The seven heads (of the beast that rose from the sea) 
are seven mountains on which the woman sitteth." Rome 
was built on seven hills. <; And there are seven kings ; five 



136 REVELATION. 

are fallen;" Julius Csesar, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, 
and Claudius. " One is j" Nero. " And the other is not 
yet come ; and when he cometh, he must continue a 
short space." Galba, who reigned but seven months, 
makes the seventh. And then the popular belief in regard 
to Nero seems to be again brought to view ; " and the 
beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of 
the seven, and goeth into perdition." Had the expecta- 
tion in regard to Nero, that, after disappearing for a time, 
he would come again, been fulfilled, he would have been 
the eighth ; and he might have been said to be of the seven, 
in allusion to the short reign of Galba, who is generally 
reckoned as one of the mock emperors. It may here 
be remarked, that it is not necessary to suppose that 
John entertained the popular belief in regard to Nero's 
reappearance ; but he took advantage of it in describing 
the reigning emperor, just as our Saviour, as very aptly 
observed by Professor Stuart, in his Hints on Interpreta- 
tion, took advantage of a popular belief, when he spoke of 
unclean spirits, walking through dry places, seeking rest 
and finding none, without expressing any opinion whether 
it was true or false. It answered his purpose, in descri- 
bing the reigning emperor, without exposing him to the 
charge of sedition against the government. 

The ten horns (verse twelfth) represent the divisions or 
kingdoms into which the Roman empire was divided ; they 
were tributary and constituent parts of that empire. The 
expression, which have received no kingdom as yet, shows 
that these divisions had not been formed at the time the 
Revelation was seen. The words translated "one hour," 
might have been rendered, according to Vitringa, " at one 
and the same time," or, for the same length of time ; and 
then the meaning would be, that although these kingdoms, 
at the time of the vision, had no distinct existence, they 



CHAPTER XVII. 137 

nevertheless formed constituent parts of the Roman empire. 
All the provinces of the empire gave their power to the 
beast ; i e.> the imperial magistracy of Rome ; especially 
there was but one mind among them all in executing the 
edicts of the emperors, in the persecutions they carried on 
against Christians. The same was true, after the empire 
became Christian, and the supremacy of the Pope was 
established ; the various kingdoms which acknowledged 
his supremacy, however much they might have differed in 
other respects, yet agreed perfectly in contributing of their 
forces and riches to execute the decretals of the Pope. It 
is predicted that they should make war with the Lamb ; 
that is, they would persecute the church of Christ ; but 
" the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords, 
and King of kings ; and they that are with Him are called, 
and chosen, and faithful. " The angel next explains "■ the 
waters," on which the woman was sitting, to be " peoples, 
and multitudes, and nations, and tongues." This denotes 
the great extent and numerical strength of the church of 
Rome. Previous to the Moslem conquests, her dominion 
was spread over all the principal nations of the earth. It 
was not limited to those who spoke one language, but in- 
cluded many different a tongues." It is, moreover, pre- 
dicted that the ten horns shall, in the end, persecute and 
destroy her whose allies and defenders they have been. 
Their love will be turned to such hatred that they shall 
make her desolate, and burn her with fire. But whilst 
this remains to be fulfilled, is it not true that some earnest 
has been already given of its final and complete accom- 
plishment ? Where is the German empire, the chief pillar 
of the papacy at the period of its greatest strength ? 
Large portions of it have become Protestant, and hate the 
woman who was seated on many waters. What a mighty 
change has taken place in France — that country, the 



138 REVELATION. 

sovereigns of which did so much to establish the Pope in 
his usurpations, both ecclesiastical and political ! Some 
of the effects of the French Revolution, which broke out 
in 1792, were noticed under the sixth vial. True, it is 
still a Roman Catholic country, but the reformed religion 
is not only tolerated, but supported by the government. 
And has not Spain, too, long since insisted upon the banish- 
ment of the Jesuits from that country, and even caused the 
immense revenues of the monastic establishments to be 
sequestrated to the State ? Protestant England once gave 
its power to the Pope, and Switzerland was one of the 
battle-fields of the Reformation. The time is coming when 
the inhabitants of all Popish countries, who now fulfill the 
divine will by sustaining and perpetuating the power of the 
beast, will desert and turn against the apostate church, 
which, by seeking and swaying civil power, has built itself 
up in the world, and at the same time proved that it did 
not belong to that kingdom which Christ came to establish, 
and which he declared was not of this world. That time 
only awaits the fulfillment of prophecy. 

" Behold I come quickly." " The Spirit and the bride 
say, Come." 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from hea- 
ven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his 

2 glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon 
the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, 
and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and 

3 hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath 
of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed forni- 
cation with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich 

4 through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another 
voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be 
not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. 

5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered 

6 her iniquities. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double 
unto her double according to her works : in the cup which she hath 

7 filled, fill to her double. How much she hath glorified herself, and' 
lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she 
saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no 

8 sorrow. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and 
mourning, and famine ; and she shall be utterly burned with fire, 
for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. 

A powerful angel is here represented descending from 
heaven and enlightening the earth with his glory, proclaim- 
ing the fall of Babylon, and her punishment, together with 
the crimes which deserved it. Babylon is described as 
becoming the hold of foul spirits, a habitation of demons, 
and a cage of unclean birds. These are figurative ex- 
pressions peculiar to the ancient prophets, designed to set 
forth a scene of utter- desolation. The great crime men- 
tioned against Babylon, and for which she is visited with 
this utter desolation, is her fornication ; that is, idolatry. 
In this spiritual adultery, the kings and inhabitants of 
Romish countries have almost universally participated 



140 REVELATION. 

Proof of this has been already adduced. " Tell us not," 
says the author of Ancient Christianity, " how the few may 
possibly steer clear of the fatal errors, and avoid a gross 
idolatry, while admitting such practices. What will be 
their effect with the multitude 1 The actual condition of 
the mass of the people in all countries where popery has 
been unchecked, gives us a sufficient answer to this ques- 
tion ; nor do we scruple to condemn these practices as 
abominable idolatries. Tell us not how Fenelon or Pascal 
might extricate themselves from this impiety : what are the 
frequenters of churches in Naples and Madrid ? nothing 
better than the grossest polytheists, and far less rationally 
religious than were their ancestors of the times of Numa 
and Pythagoras." 

The apostle records what he heard another voice from 
heaven say. It commanded the people of God to come 
out of Babylon, that they might not be " partakers of her 
sins, and of her plagues." The voice then describes the 
heinousness of her sins, in the sight of heaven ; and 
declares that her punishment should be in proportion to her 
crimes. " Double unto her double according to her works." 
Her plagues shall come in " one day," that is, suddenly ; 
"and she shall be utterly burned with fire." Some insist 
upon understanding the burning with fire literally, but this 
is not necessary ; it is enough to understand it as strongly 
figurative of complete destruction. 

In the remainder of the chapter the fall of Rome is more 
fully declared, and the manner in which different classes 
would be affected by her fall particularly described. 

9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and 
lived deliriously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when 

10 they shall see the smoke of her burning. Standing afar off for the 
fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas ! that great city Babylon, 

11 that mighty city ! for in one hour is thy judgment come. And the 
merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her ; for no man 



CHAPTER XVIII. 141 

12 buyeth their merchandise any more: The merchandise of gold, 
and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and 
purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner 
vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and 

13 of brass, and iron, and marble, And cinnamon, and odors, and 
ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and 
wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, 

14 and souls of men. And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are 
departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly 
are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all. 

15 The merchants of these things which were made rich by her, shall 
stand afar off, for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, 

16 And saying, Alas, alas! that great city, that was clothed in fine 
linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious 

17 stones and pearls. For in one hour so great riches has come to 
naught. And every ship-master, and all the company in ships, and 

18 sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, And cried when 
they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto 

19 this great city ! And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weep- 
ing and wailing, saying, Alas, alas ! that great city, wherein were 
made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness ! 

20 for in one hour is she made desolate. Rejoice over her, thou hea- 
ven, and ye holy apostles and prophets ; for God hath avenged you 

21 on her. And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great mill-stone, 
and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great 
city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. 

22 And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trum- 
peters, shall be heard no more at all in thee ; and no craftsman, of 
whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee ; and the 

23 sound of a mill-stone shall be heard no more at all in thee. And 
the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice 
of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee : 
for thy merchants were the great men of the earth ; for by thy sor- 

24 ceries were all nations deceived. And in her was found the blood 
of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth. 

The kings of the earth, who have participated in her 
spiritual adultery, are represented as bewailing her," as 
they stand beholding her overthrow — " the smoke of her 
burning." And the merchants of the earth, who have 
been aggrandized by her superstitions and impostures, as 



142 REVELATION. 

well as the rulers of Roman Catholic countries, will join 
in the lamentation over her. The catalogue of the articles 
of traffic and commerce, which follows, is descriptive of 
the magnificence, splendor and luxury of papal Rome. 
The enumeration, in this strikingly descriptive catalogue, 
closes with " souls of men. 5 ' Without stopping to show 
how the various articles here enumerated apply more to 
the Roman Catholic church than they do to ancient pagan 
Rome, it will be sufficient to inquire in what sense it could 
be said that ancient Rome made merchandise of the souls 
of men. But that the papal church has been guilty of this 
enormous crime is sufficiently proved by her doctrines of 
purgatory, forgiveness of sins, and indulgences, by which 
her immense revenues have been supplied. That im- 
mense fabric, St. Peter's at Rome, which continues to be 
the wonder of the world, was erected with the silver and 
gold procured by the sale of indulgences, that is, by sell- 
ing to men the privilege of sinning : and what was this but 
merchandise in immortal souls ? It was this very traffic, 
carried on by the celebrated Tetzel in Germany, which, 
more than any thing else, served to arouse the intrepid 
spirit of Martin Luther. 

Next the mariners are represented as bewailing her. 
They had been enriched " by reason of her costliness," 
i. e. in the transportation of her commodities. The Roman 
Catholic countries of Europe, Spain, Portugal, France, and 
the far-famed Venice, have stood foremost in commercial 
pursuits, which consisted, in no small degree, in the trans- 
portation of costly articles to be used in buildings, furni- 
ture, equipage, dress, &c, gathered from all climes. We 
are thus relieved from the embarrassment that would be 
unavoidable, if we understood the prophecy here as rela- 
ting to ancient Rome, and speaking of it as so largely en- 
gaged in maritime trade. We have no difficulty whatever 



CHAPTER XVIII. 143 

with the prominent part which seamen take in this lament, 
understanding it as made over papal, and not pagan Rome. 
So much of the maritime as is here introduced, is altogether 
natural, if we understand, by Babylon, the Roman Catholic 
church ; but it is out of place, and unmeaning, if we under- 
stand the Roman empire in the time of Nero. 

While kings, merchants, and seamen of Romish coun- 
tries are lamenting the fall of spiritual Babylon, the holy 
apostles, and prophets, and the inhabitants of heaven, are 
called upon to exult and rejoice over her. This passage 
may be thought to breathe the spirit of hostility and re- 
venge ; but to approve of, and rejoice in the righteous 
judgments of God on incorrigible offenders, is no breach 
of the spirit of benevolence. " Rebuke/' observes Edward 
Irving, in his Introductory Essay to Home on the Psalms, 
" is a form of charity ; and censure, and excommunication, 
yea, and total abandonment for a while. Truth is always 
a form of charity. Christ brought mercy to the earth, and 
in the Gospel builded for her an ark, in which she might 
swim over the deluge of cruelty which covereth the earth. 
Yet how terrible is that Gospel in its revelation to the 
wicked, how unsparing of the world, how cruel to the flesh, 
how contemptuous of good-natured formality, how awfully 
vindictive against hypocrisy/ 5 " It is the capital principle 
of all sound doctrine, that the world is to be destroyed. It 
is the deep-rooted source of all heretical doctrine, that the 
world is to be mended. Until the sceptre of the world is 
broken in pieces, charity can find no room, but is fain to 
flee into the wilderness. Out of the same charity, there- 
fore, ought the Christian to adopt these expressions of his 
hatred to the forms and fruits of wickedness, that he ex- 
pressed his longing desire that the souls of the wicked 
should be set free and saved. 55 

To confirm and render more vivid the sudden and utter 



144 REVELATION. 

destruction of the papal anti-Christ, we have the emblem of 
a great mill-stone cast into the sea, to represent the vio- 
lence with which Babylon will be thrown down. Then 
the music for which she has so long been distinguished 
will cease ; and artists will no more furnish specimens in 
painting and sculpture to adorn Romish churches. The 
light of candles shall be put out, and the voice of the bride 
and the bridegroom shall be heard no more. 

Who can pretend that this part of John's prophecy has al- 
ready been fulfilled ? Is not Rome still standing, and, not- 
withstanding her reverses, flourishing too ? Does not the 
pretended successor of St. Peter still issue his bulls and de- 
cretals from the Vatican ? Does he not still sit in the por- 
phyry chair, and wear the triple crown ? Does not Rome 
still resound with singers and musicians, and adorn her 
cathedrals and churches with sculpture and painting ? Do 
not candles, lamps, and torches, still burn on her altars, by 
day as well as by night ? 



CHAPTER XIX. 

1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in hea- 
ven, saying, Alleluia ! Salvation, and glory, and honor, and power, 

2 unto the Lord our God : For true and righteous are his judgments : 
for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with 
her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her 

3 hand. And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever 

4 and ever. And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell 
down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen ; Alle- 

5 luia. And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all 

6 ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. And I 
heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of 
many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alle- 

7 luia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and 
rejoice, and give honor to him : for the marriage of the Lamb is 

8 come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted 
that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white : for the 

9 fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, 
Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage-sup- 
per of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true 

10 sayings of God. And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he 
said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellow-servant, and of 
thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus : worship God : for 
the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. 

We now enter on the chapter which completes the catas- 
trophe of Rome, and brings to a close Part Fourth, in 
our analysis of this book. It contains the songs of rejoic- 
ing which will be sung when this polluted city is no more. 

First, John heard a voice of much people in heaven join- 
ing in praises and thanksgiving to God, for the faithfulness 
of his promise in visiting with judgment an apostate and 
corrupt church. He also hears the four and twenty elders 
respond, as they fall down and worship God, saying, 
Amen ; Alleluia. Then came a voice from the throne, 

13 



146 REVELATION. 

exhorting the servants of God to praise him ; and imme- 
diately was heard " the voice of a great multitude, and as 
the voice of many waters, and as the voice of many thun- 
derings, saying, Alleluia, for the Lord God omnipotent reign- 
eth." The epithalamium to be sung at the marriage-supper 
of the Lamb follows. Well may the bride, impatient for 
the hour when she shall be made ready, arrayed in pure, 
fine linen, which means the righteousness of the saints, cry 
out, Come, my Lord. 

How much cheering consolation must have been re- 
ceived by suffering Christians in former times, and may 
still be derived by believers, who see the wide-spread 
errors of apostasy and superstition, from these glorious 
disclosures of the future triumph of the church ! 

11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse; and he that 
sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness 

12 he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and 
on his head were many crowns ; and he had a name written, that 

13 no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture 

14 dipped in blood : and his name is called The Word of God. And 
the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, 

15 clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And oat of his mouth goeth 
a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations : and he 
shall rule them with a rod of iron : and he tread eth the wine-press 

16 of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his 
vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS 

17 AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw an angel standing in the 
sun ; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that 
fly in the midst of heaven, Come, and gather yourselves together 

18 unto the supper of the great God: That ye may eat the flesh of 
kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and 
the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of 

19 all men, both free and bond, both small and great. And I saw the 
beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together 
to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his 

20 army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet 
that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that 



CHAPTER XIX. 147 

had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his 
image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with 
21 brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that 
sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth : and 
all the fowls were filled with their flesh. 

A sublime description of our Savior and His redeemed, 
led forth by Him, in battle array, to the last conflict with 
anti-Christian powers. The white horse, it is proper to 
notice here, is not an emblem of bloodshed ; and the 
glorious Leader that sat on him, whose name was The 
Word of God, was not clad in the armor of a warrior, 
but had on His head many crowns, and was clothed in a 
vesture dipped in blood, as an emblem of His great atoning 
work. The imagery is similar to that employed in 
describing what John saw when the first seal was opened ; 
which was applied to the early spread of the Gospel. 
Moreover, the armies which followed him were also upon 
white horses, and were clothed in fine linen. An angel 
appears in the sun to call the fowls of heaven to feast on 
the flesh of those about to fall. This imagery is appropri- 
ate to carry out the figure of a battle. The battle ensues ; 
the beast is taken, (the beast that came up from the earth, 
and has exercised all the power of the first beast, and even 
caused his image to be worshipped,) and with him the 
false prophet, i. e. the Romish priesthood, with the Pope at 
their head, and are " cast alive into a lake of fire, burning 
with brimstone." " And the remnant were slain by the 
sword of Him that sat upon the horse, which sword pro- 
ceeded out of his mouth." This last expression, which 
swordy &c, furnishes another important hint as to the 
meaning of the highly figurative description of this final 
conflict. The sword proceedeth out of his mouth, i. e. it 
is his Word, his glorious Gospel ; the sword of the Spirit, 
we are elsewhere expressly taught, is the Word of God. 



148 REVELATION. 

The power of the Pope will be suddenly and awfully 
broken, and no doubt by judgments, and the popish re- 
ligion destroyed ; and then those who had received the 
mark of the beast, and worshipped his image, shall be 
slain by the sword of the Spirit, i. e. they shall be con- 
verted to be the true and humble disciples of the Lord 
Jesus Christ. But we do not desire to speak too confi- 
dently of the precise meaning of language which remains 
to be fulfilled. Enough for us to know that the divine 
purposes are ripening fast ; that 

" God is His own interpreter, 
And He will make it plain." 



PART FIFTH. 

LATTER DAY GLORY; EATTLE OF GOG AND MAGOG; FINAL 
JUDGMENT ; HEAVENLY STATE. CHAPS. XX.-XXII. 

CHAPTER XX. 

1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the 

2 bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on 
the dragon, that old serpent which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound 

3 him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut 
him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations 
no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled : and after that he 

4 must be loosed a little season. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon 
them, and judgment was given unto them : and / saw the souls of 
them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word 
of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, 
neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands ; 

5 and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the 
rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. 

6 This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part 
in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, 
but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with 
him a thousand years. 

Let it be borne in mind that this passage relates to the 
future ; and that it does not become us to embark with un- 
tempered zeal in the defense of any theory which is to 
settle the manner in which every minute particular in the 
prophecy is certainly to be fulfilled. The nature of the 
subject dictates modesty and caution. When we come to 
what is future in a book, containing, as we have seen, in 

13* 



150 REVELATION. 

predictions already fulfilled, so much that is highly sym- 
bolical, what need there is of " great wisdom, sobriety and 
reverence." " The folly of interpreters," observes Sir I. 
Newton, " has been to foretell times and things by this 
prophecy, as if God designed to make them prophets. By 
this rashness, they have not only exposed themselves, but 
brought the prophecy into contempt. The design of God 
was much otherwise. He gave this, and the prophecies 
of the Old Testament, not to gratify men's curiosities, by 
enabling them to foreknow things, but that after they were 
fulfilled, they might be interpreted by the event, and his 
own providence." 

That diversity of interpretation, which has resulted from 
the inquiries of different individuals, equally intent on 
knowing the mind of the Spirit, and equally sincere in 
declaring their convictions, ought not to discourage the 
hope that, as the science of biblical criticism advances, 
greater uniformity of exposition, even of passages long dis- 
puted, will be attained. Whatever difficulties, or whatever 
difference of views may exist in regard to the right interpre- 
tation of Rev. xx. 1-6, it is admitted by all, I believe, to 
refer to that happy and long-expected period, when all men 
shall know the Lord. Nearly all evangelical Christians are 
looking forward to such an era, and are endeavoring to 
animate their faith and hope by the expectation of its speedy 
approach. The wild speculations and fancies in which 
writers on the millennium, in former times, indulged, have, 
for the most part, been laid aside ; and the subject is now 
discussed in a more sober and rational manner, and more 
scriptural views are believed to prevail in regard to it. 
Considerable diversity of opinion, however, will probably 
exist until the fullness of time is come. We are to exer- 
cise great caution and soberness in all our inquiries on 
this subject, and pray for the presence of that Spirit that 



CHAPTER XX. 151 

guides into all truth. In regard to every matter not made 
plain by the word of God, let us patiently wait, until time 
shall develop and unfold every particular. 

The passage now to be examined is the one on which 
literalists, as they prefer to be styled, mainly rely for proof 
that Christ is to reign in person, i. e. visibly to the eye of 
sense, on earth during the millennium, and that the saints 
will be raised from the dead to reign with him. But the 
more judicious of this class of interpreters cannot, and do 
not insist on a literal interpretation, but admit " that it is 
a passage which is both figurative and symbolical, and 
that it cannot be successfully defended on the ground of a 
strictly literal interpretation."* An angel coming down 
from heaven, with a great chain in his hand, and the key 
of the bottomless pit, etc., they admit to be symbolical ; 
but the words, This is the first resurrection, they maintain, 
are expository, and intended to be literally understood. 
They further admit that the Apocalypse is figurative 
throughout, with the exception of incidental passages, 
which are expository and of a literal character. Such 
passages are interwoven with all prophecies, and are ne- 
cessary, in order to give them a definite meaning or appli- 
cation. In view of such admissions, it is hard to under- 
stand how they can claim an exclusive right to be styled 
literalists. 

The binding of Satan, and his being cast into the bottom- 
less pit, may be taken as symbolical of a complete arrest 
of satanic influence, to follow upon the destruction of anti- 
Christian powers. The destruction of these powers having 
been foretold, it remained that the poweiiul agent, who had 
animated them, whose instruments they had been, should 
also be punished. He is styled " the dragon," and is the 

* See "Essays on the Advent and Kingdom of Christ," by the Rev. 
J. W. Brooks, ed. Phila., 1840, p. 67, seq. 



152 REVELATION. 

same mentioned, chap. xii. 3, there described as animating 
the heathen magistracy of ancient Rome, in carrying on 
persecution. This suspension of satanic agency among men 
is to continue a thousand years ; and immediately on the 
binding of Satan, the reign of righteousness and peace will 
commence. The millennium is a name obviously derived 
from the thousand years here spoken of: it is used to de- 
signate that period of signal prosperity to the church of 
Christ, frequently denominated the latter day glory, which 
the prophets predicted, when Jesus will be acknowledged 
King of nations. After the expiration of the thousand 
years, it is predicted that Satan must be loosed a little 
season. 

In the fourth verse, it is said John saw thrones, and he 
saw the souls of them " that were beheaded for the witness 
of Jesus," and that " they lived and reigned with Christ a 
thousand years. " In the fifth verse it is said, " this is the 
first resurrection." It is from this passage that the advo- 
cates of millenarian doctrine undertake to prove that the 
second visible appearing of Christ will be at the com- 
mencement of the millennium, when he will come to reign 
on the earth, and to raise the dead saints to reign with 
him. They believe that the general resurrection will not 
take place until the expiration of the thousand years, thus 
making two distinct resurrections, and separating the 
resurrection of the righteous, by a long interval, from the 
resurrection of the wicked. They believe, in subversion 
of the commonly received doctrine of the day of judgment, 
that this day begins with the thousand years, and includes 
the whole period of the millennium, and that the expression, 
judgment was given unto them, means that judicial authority 
will be given to our Lord and his saints during the thousand 
years reign ; at the same time they seem to teach that the 
wicked will not be raised until the thousand years end. 



CHAPTER XX. 153 

The day of judgment, in their view, instead of being a day 
when God will vindicate his government before the uni- 
verse, by adjudicating between the righteous and the 
wicked, is that period of time when all disorders shall 
cease " in the intelligent universe," (surely it cannot be 
meant to include the world of lost spirits,) and all iniquity 
be destroyed.* Another feature of their system is, that 
the Jews will be restored to Palestine, and raised to high 
distinction, under the kingly authority of Messiah. They 
also believe that the church will become a politico-ecclesi- 
astical establishment, with the Lord Jesus as an earthly 
sovereign at its head, exercising " all that power over the 
bodies of men and their external circumstances, which is 
at present exercised by the kings of the earth. "f All 
these features of their system, with the exception, perhaps, 
of the restoration of the Jews to their own land, and the 
peculiar honor to be conferred on them they claim, are 
either distinctly taught, or clearly implied, in Rev. xx. 1-6. 
I do not mean that this passage is the only one which 
they adduce in support of their sentiments ; neverthe- 
less it is regarded as the " royal prediction," the key 
which opens many other passages which prove the same 
doctrines. 

Those who hold the opinions above set forth, lay great 
stress on the word first, in the declaration, This is the first 
resurrection, as proving that the nature of the resurrection 
here spoken of, must be the same as that mentioned at the 
close of the chapter, And the sea gave up the dead which 
were in it, &c, which evidently describes the final resur- 
rection. Hence they maintain that there will be two 
resurrections ; one of the just, at the opening of the mil- 

* See preface to The Pre-Millennial Advent of Messiah, by Wm. 
Cuninghame, Esq., ed. Phila., 1840, p. 15, seq. 

t See Anderson's Apology, ed. Phiia., 1840, p. 31, seq. 



154 REVELATION. 

lennium, and another of the unjust, at a long interval sub- 
sequent to the former, at the end of the millennium, and 
that this last resurrection, instead of preceding, will close 
the day of judgment. But the idea of there being two 
resurrections, so widely separated as to time, seems to be 
utterly at variance with the teaching of Scripture. At all 
events we should expect, when the doctrine of the resur- 
rection is so fully set forth in .the New Testament, that 
any thing so peculiar as the notion of there being two 
entirely distinct resurrections, would be clearly taught in 
more passages than one. In 1 Cor. xv., which relates 
almost exclusively to the resurrection, we should expect 
to find some intimation that the resurrection of the saints 
is to precede the resurrection of the wicked by a thousand 
years, if so peculiar a view of this great doctrine is taught 
anywhere in the word of God. But in this chapter we 
learn that there shall be a universal resurrection, " every 
man in his own order," at the coming of Christ. The 
coming of Christ is spoken of as one event which points 
out the time when all shall be made alive, every man in 
his own order. If, in this chapter, it is made certain at all 
that the unjust shall be raised, it is made equally certain 
that they shall be raised at the coming of Christ, when it 
is declared that they that are Christ's shall be raised. 

The following passage, in the fourth chapter of the first 
epistle to the Thessalonians, is sometimes quoted as refer- 
ring to the very same first resurrection mentioned in the 
Apocalypse ; " For the Lord himself shall descend from 
heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and 
with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise 
first" But a moment's examination of the context is all 
that is necessary to show that the word first, in this place, 
cannot have the meaning which millenarians attach to it 
in the passage in Rev. xx. ; in other words, that it cannot 



CHAPTER XX. 155 

denote the former of two resurrections, widely distant 
from each other in point of time. It undeniably refers to 
the resurrection of the dead saints, before the living ones 
are caught up into the air : " For this we say unto you, by 
the word of the Lord, that we which are alive, and remain 
unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent (precede) 
them which are asleep." The fact that there is no resur- 
rection alluded to in this passage, except that of those called 
the dead in Christ, is of no account, inasmuch as the de- 
sign of the apostle, in speaking of the resurrection, had no 
tendency to lead him to allude, even remotely, to the resur- 
rection of the wicked. His design was to comfort his 
brethren, in view of the death of believers, that they should 
not grieve at their departure, " even as others which have 
no hope." 

The passage in the epistle to the Philippians, where 
Paul says that he sought to know the fellowship of Christ's 
sufferings, &c, " if by any means he might attain unto 
the resurrection of the dead," cannot clearly be shown 
to mean any thing more than that Paul earnestly desired to 
attain unto "*the resurrection of life," " the resurrection 
of the just," a a better resurrection," which will be the 
reward of all who are faithful to Christ, unto the end. 
The resurrection of which Paul speaks so emphatically, is 
the resurrection of the saints, in distinction from the resur- 
rection of the wicked. This latter could not be an object 
of desire — it would introduce only to shame and everlast- 
ing contempt. Let it here be observed, that we make a 
clear distinction between the resurrection of the just and 
the resurrection of the unjust, and admit that the Scriptures 
seem to teach that the former will precede the latter, but 
in no such sense as to justify the idea of two resurrection 
days. It will be distinction enough for believers to be 
raised up to glory, and I cannot see how any higher dis- 



156 REVELATION. 

tinction could have been meant, by the Saviour's declaring 
it would be the special privilege of a believer " that he 
will raise him up at the last day/' John vi. 39, 40. 
How could such a resurrection cease to be a distinction 
and a privilege, by supposing that the wicked will be 
raised on the same day t 

It only remains to refer to two or three passages, which 
require no exposition to show the plainest reader that the 
resurrection of the righteous and the wicked take place 
together ; i. e., on the day spoken of in Scripture as the 
last day. In Matt. xxv. 31-46, we have a description of 
the Son of Man on the throne of His glory, and all nations 
gathered before Him ; we have the process of the judg- 
ment — the righteous and the wicked separated — one class 
entering into the joy of their Lord, and the other going 
away into everlasting punishment. How men who insist 
on being regarded as literalists, with such a passage as 
this before them, can hold to such views of the resurrec- 
tion, and of the judgment day, as have been stated, it is 
not easy to understand. Take another passage : John v. 
28, 29. " The hour is coming in the which all that are in 
their graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth — 
they that have done good unto the resurrection of life, and 
they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damna- 
tion." How could language more distinctly teach that the 
resurrection of the righteous and the wicked take place at 
the same time ? 

But, even if we admit that the first resurrection is literal, 
and takes place at the opening of the millennium — long 
anterior to the general resurrection — it by no means follows 
that the interpretation of this passage in the Apocalypse — 
which is adopted by the advocates of millenarian doctrine — 
is the true one, or the most plausible. It by no means 
follows that the Saviour will appear visibly to reign as a 



CHAPTER XX. 157 

Sovereign on earth, or that there will be a visible resurrec- 
tion of the saints, or any number of them, to reign with 
Him. If we were compelled to allow that there will be a 
literal resurrection at the commencement of the millennium, 
distinguished from the final resurrection, it might still be 
shown, as far more consistent with the language of the 
seer, that it will be a resurrection of the martyrs, and the 
martyrs alone, invisible to men on the earth, and unattend- 
ed with any pomp or outward tokens. The language, " I 
saw thrones," may much more naturally, because more 
in accordance with other parts of this book, be referred to 
what John saw as taking place in heaven, and exclusively 
appropriate to that world. Admitting, therefore, that the 
first resurrection is literal, it by no means follows that the 
millenarian interpretation, that all the saints will be raised 
to reign on the earth with Christ, during the thousand 
years, is the true one. An invisible resurrection of the 
martyrs to reign with Christ in heaven, is a doctrine very 
different from that of the millenarians. 

But in my view the language, " the souls of them that 
were beheaded for the witness of Jesus" "lived and reign- 
ed with Christ a thousand years," may simply denote — 
in accordance with the manner in which, as we have seen, 
other strong and impressive figures and symbols are to be 
interpreted in this book — that Christ will clearly and 
manifestly reign, by the universal diffusion of the Gospel 
— by his spotless example more fully displayed in the 
daily walk and conversation of Christians — and the Holy 
Spirit shed abroad more abundantly in their hearts. And 
as believers more resemble Christ, and possess more of his 
Spirit in their hearts, they may be said to partake more 
largely in the honors of His spiritual kingdom, and thus 
to reign with Him. Christ will in truth reign gloriously 
in the latter day, but it will be by grace in the hearts of 

14 



158 REVELATION. 

His people ; and they will reign with Him, but it will be 
with the joy and gratitude of beholding His Gospel 
triumph over all sin and error. 

The figure of the resurrection is carried out, vv. 5, 6, 
to show that whilst the pure principles of the Gospel — 
which martyrs illustrated in their lives, and in defense of 
which they died — shall be gloriously revived, and shall 
flourish, the errors of those who worshipped the beast and 
his image, as well as their corrupt practices, shall have no 
existence — no corresponding reviviscence. " The rest of 
the dead lived not again until the thousand years were 
finished." This refers not at all to the resurrection of the 
bodies of men, but the point of the antithesis is preserved 
by referring it to the revival of wickedness which is to take 
place when Satan is unbound — a prediction, by the way, 
which is utterly irreconcilable with the millenarian 
theory. If any parts of the Apocalypse are admitted to 
be fulfilled, the principle of interpretation, by which those 
parts are explained, will lead unavoidably to the view now 
presented of this particular passage. The book abounds 
with the strongest sensible images to represent moral or 
spiritual changes and events. How can we arbitrarily lay 
aside this principle of interpretation when we come to 
Rev. xx. 1-6, and make that teach that there will be two 
distinct resurrections of the bodies of men, when there is 
nothing in any other part of Scripture which, indepen- 
dently of this passage, would have ever suggested the idea ? 
The word of God, on the contrary, clearly teaches that 
there will be one, and but one, resurrection of the righteous 
and the wicked. " As the Jews," remarks Dr. Scott, 
with great force, " expected Elijah to come personally, and 
knew him not when he came, mystically, in John the 
Baptist, so I apprehend many Christians, and men of the 
utmost respectability for piety and learning, have fallen 



CHAPTER XX. 159 

into the same mistake, in expecting a literal and personal 
resurrection of the martyrs at the opening of the millen- 
nium ; and they would not know them at first, when they 
arise in a numerous race of Christians, resembling them in 
all their most eminent graces."* 

As to the particular year or period when the millennium 
will begin, there appears to be no information in the Word 
of God ; but, on the contrary, we find this declaration 
among the very last words uttered by our Lord before He 
was taken up, and the cloud took Him out of the disciples' 

* " If I read the Bible right at all, the only throne which the Re- 
deemer is ever to set up on earth, is a throne in the heart. * * * * 
Other views bring the subject down from its proper eminence. What 
if the incarnate Son of God should descend from heaven, and take up 
his abode among men, would this be better for a dying world than the 
ministration of the Spirit ^ His bodily presence could only be in one 
place at a time. * * * But his presence, by the Spirit, in the wor^l 
and ordinances of his house, can be enjoyed at one and the same 
moment, wherever men lift up holy hands, without wrath and doubt- 
ing. * * * Far be it from me to dictate to the Master ; I am per- 
fectly willing He should pursue His own plan for regenerating and 
sanctifying the nations ; but I can never be unmindful of the divinely 
attested fact, that we have already a gift which is far more valuable than 
the personal presence of the Savior could possibly be. I would not 
have Him take back His own words, when he says, It is expedient for 
you that 1 go away. For the world, I would not turn off the eyes of 
men from the ministration of the Spirit to any theory more palpable, or 
visible, or externally impressive. Living, as we do, in the very midst 
of the Spirit's reign — that Spirit that was to come in the Redeemer's 
stead — that Spirit who is the author of our precious revivals — that 
Spirit who takes of the things of Christ and shows them unto men — 
what can we wish or wait for more 1 It is altogether a retrograde 
movement to be talking now of a revisible throne, and an imposing 
ritual. * * * For myself, I am free to say, I anticipate no such 
scenes. It is enough for me to have the sceptre of the blessed Jesus 
swayed over my affections," &c— (See " The Ministration of the 
Spirit," an excellent discourse by Dr. Magie, of Elizabethtown, in the 
Nat. Preacher.) 



160 REVELATION. 

sight, " It is not for you to know the times, or the seasons, 
which the Father hath put in his own power :" Acts i. 7. 

7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed 

\ 8 out of his prison. And shall go out to deceive the nations which 

are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather 

them together to battle : the number of whom is as the sand of the 

9 sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed 

the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city : and fire came 

10 down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil 

that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, 

where the beast and the false prophet are. and shall be tormented 

day and night for ever and ever. 

What was before declared, that, after the expiration of 
the thousand years, Satan should be set at liberty, for a 
season, is here more fully predicted. He is to come ud 
from his prison and his chains, and go out to deceive the 
nations ; in which work it appears that he will be success- 
ful ; for it is said that he will " gather them together to 
battle." These deceived nations are called Gog and 
Magog. Anciently, this was a general name applied to 
the barbarous nations in the north of Europe and Asia. 
But, from the manner in which it is used both in Ezekiel 
and the passage before us, it is obvious that it is to be un- 
derstood symbolically, just as Sodom, Babylon, and Egypt 
are used in this book — and is intended to describe the last 
enemies of the Christian church who will arise subsequent 
to the millennium. The opinion that by Gog and Magog is 
meant nations which will continue idolatrous during the 
millennium, appears not to have sufficient foundation ; and, 
indeed, to be directly opposed to the many predictions of 
God's word, which describe this period as one when holi- 
ness will fill the earth. It is quite clear, from verse 
eighth, that Gog and Magog denote the multitudes that will 
be deceived after the liberation of Satan. Their defeat 
and destruction are next foretold, together with the finish- 



CHAPTER XX. 161 

ing stroke to the agency of Satan in the world. And here, 
again, as to the length of the period from his liberation to 
his final overthrow, the Scriptures give us no information. 

11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose 
face the earth and the heaven fled away ; and there was found no 

12 place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before 
God ; and the books were opened : and another book was opened, 
which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those 
things which were written in the books, according to their works. 

13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it ; and death and hell 
delivered up the dead which were in them : and they were judged 

14 every man according to their works. And death and hell were 

15 cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whoso- 
ever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the 
lake of fire. 

One of the most sublime passages to be found in any- 
writing. " It is so plain that it does not need — so majestic 
and grand that it exceeds, commentary and paraphrase." 
It foretells and describes the general resurrection and 
judgment day. John had a vision of a throne, and the 
passing away of heaven and earth. Graves open ; the 
sea gives up its dead; and all, both small and great, 
stand before God. The books are opened ; the righteous 
rewarded ; the wicked punished. On this great and 
awful day, Christ will appear visibly in the clouds of 
heaven. Behold He cometh in clouds, and every eye 
shall see Him — not only those who have waited for His 
advent, but those also who have refused to heed the warn- 
ing of the church's prayer. Come, Lord Jesus. 



14* 



CHAPTER XXI. 

1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth : for the first heaven and 

2 the first earth were passed away ; and there was no more sea. And 
I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God 

8 out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I 
heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of 
God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his 

4 people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And 
God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be n® 
more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any 

5 more pain : for the former things are passed away. And he that sat 
upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said 

6 unto me, Write : for these words are true and faithful. And he said 
unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the 
end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water 

7 of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things ; and I will 

8 be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbeliev- 
ing, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and 
sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake 
which burnetii with lire and brimstone : which is the second death. 

As the things here foretold follow, in the prophecy, the 
account of the final judgment, they are therefore to be con- 
sidered as following that event in the order of time. The 
21st chapter describes the New Jerusalem, or the state of 
heavenly blessedness. Some writers understand this and 
the concluding chapter as describing the state of the church 
during the millennium ; and there are others who have en- 
deavored to prove that it foretells a period of righteousness 
to be enjoyed on earth, subsequent to the battle of Gog and 
Magog, when the paradisaical state will be more fully re- 
stored than in the millennium, and continue much longer. 
But it is to be borne in mind that the predictions contained 
in this chapter describe events which are to take place 



CHAPTER XXI. 163 

subsequent to the catastrophe of all things, ^. e. after the 
first heaven and the first earth have passed away, and are 
therefore to be viewed as a description of the endless hap- 
piness of the saints in heaven, after the resurrection and 
the last judgment. It would not comport with the present 
design to enter into the speculations which have been in- 
dulged respecting the locality and external state of heaven. 
Dr. Chalmers has an eloquent sermon in support of the 
opinion that this earth will be renewed and fitted up for the 
everlasting abode of the righteous. Suffice it to say, that, 
wherever located, heaven will be a state of perfect and 
unending bliss, the inheritance of the righteous, and of the 
righteous alone ; for all others shall have their part in the 
lake that burneth with fire and brimstone. 

9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels, which had the 
seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, 

10 Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. And he 
carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and 
showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of 

11 heaven from God, Having the glory of God: and her light was like 
unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper-stone, clear as crystal: 

12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the 
gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names 

13 of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. On the east, three 
gates; on the north, three gates; on the south, three gates; and on 

14 the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, 

15 and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. And he 
that talked with me, had a golden reed to measure the city, and the 

16 gates thereof, and the wall thereof. And the city lieth four-square, 
and the length is as large as the breadth : and he measured the city 
with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length, and the 

17 height of it are equal. And he measured the wall thereof, an hun- 
dred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, 

18 that is, of the angel. And the building of the wall of it was of jas- 

19 per: and the city was pure gold, like unto glass. And the founda- 
tions of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of pre- 
cious stones. The first foundation loas jasper ; the second, sapphire ; 

20 the third, a chalcedony; the fourth an emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; 



164 REVELATION. 

the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl ; the 
ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus ; the eleventh, a jacinth ; 

21 the twelfth, an amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls ; 
every several gate was one pearl ; and the street of the city was pure 

22 gold, as it were tranparent glass. And I saw no temple therein : 

23 for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And 
the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: 
for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light there- 

24 of. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light 
of it : and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into 

25 it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day : for there 

26 shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honor 

27 of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it any 
thing that deflleth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or mak- 
eth a lie; but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. 

In this passage, we have a full and beautiful description 
of New Jerusalem, the metropolis of the new heaven and 
new earth. It would be delightful to dwell upon it, after 
having dwelt so long on the fiery trials of the church, and 
to show the adaptation of this glorious issue to afford con- 
solation to the afflicted and persecuted people of God in all 
ages. But the plan which we have pursued, which has 
been simply to afford an index to the bearing and general 
scope of the different parts of this book, forbids. 

John was carried away in spirit by one of the seven 
angels, to a lofty mountain, where this glorious vision was 
granted to him. Observe that the New Jerusalem is 
called the Lamb's wife ; the church militant, calling on 
her Lord to come, is the bride — the church triumphant 
rejoicing in her espousals with her exalted Head, the Lamb 
that was slain, is called His wife. 



CHAPTER XXII. 

1 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, pro- 

2 ceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of 
the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of 
life, which hare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every 
month : and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 

3 And there shall be no more curse : but the throne of God and of the 

4 Lamb shall be in it : and his servants shall serve him : And they 
shall see his face ; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And 

5 there shall be no night there ; and they need no candle, neither 
light of the sun : for the Lord God giveth them light : and they shall 
reign for ever and ever. 

A continuation of the description of the heavenly state. 
" A river of water of life," " the tree of life," " no curse," 
" no night ;" such are the figures by which the beatitude 
of heaven is expressed. " The Saints' Everlasting Rest," 
by Richard Baxter, furnishes as good an exposition of this 
description of the New Jerusalem as can easily be found. 

6 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true. And the 
Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show unto his ser- 

7 vants the things which must shortly be done. Behold, I come quick- 
ly : blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this 
book. 

The day of judgment passed, and the righteous con- 
firmed in everlasting felicity in heaven, the contents of the 
book with seven seals may be regarded as now at an end. 
What follows may be considered as of the nature of an 
epilogue. 

The prophecy of this book is attested, and the assurance 
repeated, that the time was at hand fi 
dictions it contains to begin to be a # 



166 REVELATION. 

8 And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had 
heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel 

9 which showed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou 
do it not: for I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren the 
prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship 

10 God. And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy 

11 of this book : for the time is at hand. He that is unjust, let him be 
unjust still : and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still : and he that 
is righteous, let him be righteous still : and he that is holy, let him 

12 be holy still. And behold I come quickly; and my reward is with 

13 me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha 
and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. 

14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have 
right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the 

15 city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and 
murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. 

16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the 
churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright 

17 and morning-star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And 
let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. 

18 And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. For I 
testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of 
this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add 

19 unto him the plagues that are written in this book. And if any 
man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, 
God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the 

20 holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. He 
which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly : Amen. 

21 Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ 
be with you all. Amen. 

John is restrained from paying religious homage to the 
angel who showed him these things. He is commanded 
not to seal up the prophecy of this book ; and the reason 
of the command is given, " for the time is at hand/ 5 i. e. 
the fulfillment of the series of predictions was immediately 
to begin. Then follow promises of reward to the righteous 
and comminations against the wicked. The Alpha and 
the Omega, the divine Revealer, is now introduced, speak- 



CHAPTER XXII. 167 

ing in His own person, as if to add his imprimatur, in con- 
firmation of the authority of this book. 

Then speaks the spiritual bride, the ransomed, but still 
militant church, with longing desire for the advent of her 
Lord, come. The attentive reader will soon perceive 
that the language, " The Spirit and the bride say come," 
must be a response to the words of Him who saith, " Be- 
hold I come quickly." Many excellent commentators 
seem to have overlooked this. Henry speaks of v. 17 as 
a general invitation to all, to come and partake of the 
blessings of the Gospel. Doddridge and Scott take the 
same view of it. That the appeal, in the last two clauses 
of the verse, is to sinners, " let him that is athirst come, 
and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely," is 
undeniable ; an appeal evidently suggested, by the address 
first made to the Son of God, to hasten his coming, and 
strongly enforced by that entreaty of the church. The 
passage becomes highly impressive and animated, when 
viewed as the answer which goes back from the pious on 
earth to heaven, at the same time echoing a solemn warn- 
ing in the ears of an ungodly world. In connexion with 
similar words, in v. 20, " Surely I come quickly : Amen. 
Even so, come, Lord Jesus," we have a clue to the real 
intent of this book, viz., the revelation of the coming of 
Jesus Christ, in mercy to his people and judgment on his 
foes. 

Daubuz says, of v. 17, " This is the response made to 
the promise of Christ, <I come quickly,' v. 12." "The 
Spirit," says Dr. S. Clarke, " means the Holy Spirit in 
the hearts of believers ; ' the bride,' the whole Catholic 
church." (See D'Oyly and Mant.) " The Holy Spirit," 
says the French commentary of Calmet, " crying out 
from the inmost heart of believers, (Rom. viii. 26,) the 
bride, the church, say to Jesus Christ, come quickly, for 



168 REVELATION. 

the deliverance of thy saints ; come, avenge the wrongs 
done to thy servants." " This verse (17) contains," says 
Bloomfield, " the response made to the promise of Christ, 
1 1 come quickly/ v. 12 ; and the Holy Ghost and the 
church, the spiritual bride of Christ, are represented as 
inviting all to participate in the blessings of the Gospel." 
Prof. Stuart's comment is as follows : " The Spirit which 
animates and guides the prophets, and the bride, i. e. the 
church, who is anxiously hoping for the coming of Christ, 
unite in the fervent wish expressed by, Come." 

The solemn warning, vv. 18, 19, reminds us how re- 
sponsible an undertaking it is to interpret God's word. It 
is not to be supposed that an honestly mistaken criticism, 
which does not involve a denial of the fundamental doc- 
trines of Christianity, will expose a man's salvation. The 
spirit of the excellent Doddridge cannot be sufficiently 
admired, or too successfully imitated. In a note on this 
passage, he says, " I have neither designedly attempted to 
establish anything which did not appear to me to be a 
doctrine of Scripture, nor drop anything which did ap- 
pear so ; and wherein, through human infirmity, and the 
want of a closer and more accurate attention, I have 
failed either way, I commit myself to the mercy of that 
Redeemer, whose word it is, and whose interest I have 
endeavored faithfully to serve." 

Again, as if to render assurance doubly sure, it is 
declared that He that testifieth these things will come 
quickly. Accordingly, some of the predictions of this book 
began almost immediately to be fulfilled. The fulfillment 
of others followed ; others are now in a process of accom- 
plishment, and all of them, in the fullness of time, will be 
completed. 

Even so, Come, Lord Jesus! 



APPENDIX. 



OBSERVATIONS ON SOME OF THE PROPHECIES OF DANIEL. 

It will not be deemed out of place, before closing this 
volume, to bestow some attention on those predictions of 
the book of Daniel in which there are designations of time 
similar to those in the Apocalypse, and which have been 
frequently interpreted as referring to the same events. 

" Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint 
said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall 
be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the trans- 
gression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the 
host to be trodder* under foot ? And he said unto me, 
Unto two thousand and three hundred days ; then shall the 
sanctuary be cleansed." Daniel, viii. 13, 14. Every 
reader will perceive, that the question, How long 1 refers 
to the accomplishment of the vision of the ram and he- 
goat, contained from the second to the twelfth verse of this 
chapter. " And I saw in a vision ; (and it came to pass, 
when I saw, that I was at Shushan, in the palace, which 
is in the province of Elam ;) and I saw in a vision, and I 
was by the river Ulai. Then I lifted up mine eyes and 
saw and behold, there stood before the river a ram, which 
had two horns, and the two horns were high ; but one was 
higher than the other, and the higher came up last. I 
saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and south- 
ward ; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither 

15 



170 APPENDIX. 

was there any that could deliver out of bis hand ; but he 
did according to his will and became great. And as I 
was considering, behold, an he-goat came from the west, 
on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground : 
and the he-goat had a notable horn between his eyes. 
And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had 
seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the 
fury of his power. And I saw him come close unto the 
ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and 
smote the ram, and brake his two horns ; and there was 
no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him 
down to the ground ; and stamped upon him ; and there 
was none to deliver the ram out of his hand. Therefore 
the he-goat waxed very great : and when he was strong 
the great horn was broken ; and for it came up four nota- 
ble ones, toward the four winds of heaven ; and out of one 
of them came forth a little horn which waxed exceeding 
great toward the south, and toward the east, and toward 
the pleasant land. And it waxed great even to the host of 
heaven ; and it cast down some of the host and of the 
stars to the ground and stamped upon them. Yea, he 
magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by 
him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place 
of his sanctuary was cast down. And an host was given 
him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, 
and it cast down the truth to the ground, and it practised 
and prospered." 

It will also be perceived, that from the nineteenth to the 
twenty-sixth verse, the angel Gabriel is telling Daniel the 
meaning of the vision of the ram and he-goat, which he 
had sought to know. " And he said, Behold I will make 
thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation • 
for at the time appointed the end shall be. The ram 
which thou sawest having two horns are kings of Media 



APPENDIX. 171 

and Persia. And the rough goat is the king of Grecia : 
and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first 
king. Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for 
it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not 
in his power. And in the latter time of the kingdom, 
when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce 
countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall 
stand up. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his 
own powers, and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall 
prosper and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the 
holy people. And through his policy also he shall cause 
craft to prosper in his hand ; and he shall magnify himself 
in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many : he shall 
also stand up against the Prince of princes ; but he shall 
be broken without hand." We have an angel for the in- 
terpreter of Daniel's vision ; by whom we are distinctly 
told that the ram with two horns which Daniel saw stand- 
ing before the river are the kings of Media* and Persia, to 
whom the Hebrews, after the fall of the Assyrian empire, 
were in bondage. The Medo-Persian empire, under Cy- 
rus, became the mightiest power on the face of the earth. 

We are also told that the rough goat, with the great 
horn between his eyes, was the king of Greece, which 
such writers as Josephus, Prideaux and Rollin, and the 
w r hole mass of commentators understand as referring to 
Alexander the Great. By the breaking of the great horn 
is meant the death of Alexander, who fell a victim to in- 
temperance at an early age, in the midst of his conquests ; 
in consequence of which his kingdom was divided into 
four parts, between his four principal generals, Cassander, 
Lysamichus, Ptolemy, and Seleucus, which are represented 
in the prophecy, by the four horns that came up, when 
the great horn was broken. 

We are now brought to the principal part of the vision ; 



172 APPENDIX. 

viz. the coming forth of the little horn, out of one of the 
four horns. It is to the continuance of this part of the 
vision that the question, " How long shall be the vision V 
&c, refers. It was made known to Daniel that it was by 
the little horn that the daily sacrifice should be taken 
away, and the place of the sanctuary cast down. And it 
was to the duration of these oppressions and outrages 
against the Jews that the question, which Daniel heard 
one saint proposing to another, referred. 

It remains, then, for us to determine who was the " little 
horn," and to show whether the events here predicted took 
place within 2300 days. This can be done only by 
placing the events predicted side by side with those of ac- 
credited history, and showing that the former correspond 
or answer to the latter. Seleucus Nicator, one of the 
four generals, among whom the empire of Alexander the 
Great was divided, reigned in Syria and the East. Anti- 
ochus Epiphanes was one of his successors. This most 
cruel persecutor of the Jews, I shall show, was the " little 
horn," and also that the duration of the events here pre- 
dicted respecting him, took place in 2300 literal days. 

Antiochus Epiphanes succeeded his brother, Seleucus 
Philopator, on the throne in the year 175, B.C. But a 
short time elapsed before he commenced his cruel and 
bloody persecution of the Jews. The prediction says, " It 
(the " little horn") waxed great, even to the host of 
heaven ; and it cast down some of the host, and of the 
stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. Yea, he 
magnified himself even to the prince of the host." " He 
shall also stand up against the Prince of princes." This 
language foretells his peculiar enmity and opposition to the 
divine religion of the Jews, and against God himself. 
" The host," and " the stars" are symbolical expressions, 
meaning spiritual teachers or guides ; they refer there- 



APPENDIX. 173 

fore to the priests ; and the expression " the prince of the 
host," means the chief priest ; and " the Prince of princes," 
God. By consulting Maccabees or Josephus we discover 
how remarkably this part of the vision was fulfilled. 
Onias was high-priest at the time Antiochus ascended the 
throne. It was an office of great honour and emolument. 
Onias had a profligate brother named Jason, who offered 
the king a large sum of money if he would depose Onias 
from the high-priesthood and bestow the office on him. He 
was successful. But Menalaus, another profligate brother, 
offered a larger sum, and Jason was almost immediately 
supplanted. At his suggestion, the temple was rifled of 
its golden vessels to pay tribute. The excellent Onias, 
the lawful high-priest, sternly rebuked the sacrilege of 
Menalaus, in consequence of which, to escape threatened 
vengeance, he was compelled to fly to a place of conceal- 
ment. From this he was allured, and was murdered by 
Andromicus, under the authority of Antiochus, 171 B.C. 

Thus early had the " little horn" waxed great even to 
the host of heaven, and magnified himself even to the prince 
of the host. We, then, date the commencement of the 
2300 days in the latter part of the year 171, B.C. From 
this period, until the time of his death, this bloody perse- 
cutor, Antiochus, was engaged, at only slight intervals, in 
massacres of the Jews, and the most barbarous assaults 
upon their religious rites. With the exception of the suf- 
ferings of the Jews at the siege and destruction of Jeru- 
salem by the Romans, there is nothing in their history, as 
a nation, which can be compared with what they endured 
in consequence of his aggressions. In 170, B.C., he 
murdered the Jewish ambassadors at Tyre, and marched 
an army to Jerusalem, and abandoned the city to the fury 
of his soldiery, for three days, who slaughtered no less 
than 80,000 Hebrews. At the same time he profaned the 

15* 



174 APPENDIX. 

temple, entering the holy of holies himself, and plunder- 
ing it of the sacred utensils, all of gold. These atroci- 
ties were all occasioned, because during his absence, 
Jason had succeeded in deposing his brother from the 
high-priesthood, and had made himself master of the city. 

In the year 168, B.C., two years after the horrible 
atrocities just alluded to, he sent an army of 22,000 men 
against Jerusalem, to destroy it — to put all the men to the 
sword, and seize all the women for slaves. It was on the 
sabbath day that this dreadful tragedy was enacted. The 
men who were assembled in the synagogues were mas- 
sacred in cold blood. The city was fired in several 
places. Soldiers were stationed in the temple itself, with 
orders to destroy all who came there to worship ; so that 
the daily sacrifice which had been offered so many years, 
without interruption, according to the prediction, ceased. 
Antiochus next issued a decree, the object of which was, 
the extirpation of the Jewish religion. He commanded 
all his subjects, of every nation, to renounce their reli- 
gious ceremonies, and to worship the same gods he did. 
He suppressed all the usages of the Mosaic law ; laid 
waste the temple, and burnt the sacred writings of the 
Jews ; and placed the statue of. Jupiter Olympus upon 
the altar of the temple. Now was fulfilled the setting up 
of the abomination of desolation in the holy place, and the 
taking away of the daily sacrifice. These events took 
place in the year 168, B.C., as already mentioned ; and 
it was at this point, as I shall show in the sequel, that the 
period denoted by the " time, times, and dividing a time," 
or three years and part of another, commenced. 

But let us follow Antiochus to the end of his sanguinary 
career. The manner of the death of this " king of fierce 
countenance," as the prediction describes him, was also 
intimated, — " he shall be broken without hand ;" that is, 



APPENDIX. 175 

he was not to fall by the hand of man. He had gone into 
Persia for the purpose of levying tribute, and while there 
the tidings reached him of the defeat of his forces by 
Judas Maccabeus. Awfully enraged, he immediately 
started for Jerusalem, uttering the most fearful maledic- 
tions against the whole nation of the Jews. On his jour- 
ney, the news of the defeat of another of his generals met 
him. "Immediately he commanded his charioteer," says the 
historian, Rollin, " to drive with the utmost speed, in order 
that he might sooner have an opportunity of fully satiating 
his vengeance ; threatening to make Jerusalem the bury- 
ing-place of the whole Jewish nation. He had scarcely 
uttered that blasphemous expression, when he was struck 
by the hand of God." Notwithstanding the excruciating 
torments that racked his body, he bade his charioteer 
drive on, until he fell from his chariot and died a loath- 
some death, worms crawling from his body, and the flesh 
falling away from his bones by piecemeal. Thus per- 
ished this scourge of the Jewish nation, 164 B.C. 

Now let us look for the end of the period 2300 days. 
It is equal to six Jewish years (counting 360 days to a 
year) and 140 days. As noticed before, this period com- 
menced in the year 171, B.C. ; supposed August 5th ; 
counting on six Jewish years, and 140 days — 2300 days, 
and it will bring us to December 25th, 165 B.C., when 
Maccabeus purified the temple, and re-established the daily 
sacrifice. 

Daniel had the vision of the ram and he-goat, or the 
four horns and the little horn, during the reign of Bel- 
shazzar, 553 B.C. Having considered the meaning of 
this vision, in the first place, and pointed out the events by 
which it was fulfilled, we are the better prepared, I trust, 
to bestow more attention on other visions recorded in this 
book, and to perceive that the times specified, which by 



176 APPENDIX. 

some have been regarded as equivalent lo certain periods 
in the Apocalypse, and as having a similar application, 
are likewise to be understood according to their obvious 
and literal import ; and that thus understood, they more 
naturally agree with the design of the writer than to un- 
derstand them as having a symbolic sense. 



THE FIRST VISION OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR. 

Dan. n. 

31 Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image 
whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form 

32 thereof was terrible. This image's head was of fine gold, his breast 

33 and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass. His legs 

34 of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest till 
that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image 
upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. 

35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, 
broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer 
threshing floors ; and the wind carried them away, that no place 
was found for them : and the stone that smote the image became a 

36 great mountain, and filled the whole earth. This is the dream ; 

37 and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. Thou, 
O king, art a king of kings : for the God of heaven hath given 

38 thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever 
the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of 
the heaven hath he given into thy hands, and hath made thee ruler 

39 over them all. Thou art this head of gold. And after thee shall 
arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom 

40 of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. And the fourth 
kingdom shall be strong as iron : forasmuch as iron breaketh in 
pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, 

41 shall it break in pieces and bruise. And whereas thou sawest the 
feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom 
shall be divided ; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, 

42 forasmuch as thou sawest the iron, mixed with miry clay. And as 
the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the king- 

43 dom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas thou 



APPENDIX. 177 

sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with 
the seed of men : but they shall not cleave one to another, even as 

44 iron is not mixed with clay. And in the days of these kings shall 
the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be de- 
stroyed : and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall 
break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand 

45 forever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of 
the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, 
the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold ; the great God hath 
made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter : and the 
dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure. 

As God made known the dream itself, as well as the 
interpretation of it to Daniel, it may properly be regarded 
as a part of the prophecy revealed to him. The great 
image, or an immense human figure, is a striking symbol 
of the power of earthly kings. The different parts of this 
image were designed to represent a succession of mighty 
empires; and they in fact designate the great outlines of 
human history. This first vision, therefore, is the most 
comprehensive contained in the book of Daniel. Regard- 
ing the stone, cut out of the mountain without hands, 
which smote the image, and broke it into pieces, as an 
emblem of the kingdom set up by the God of heaven, we 
have five great empires, in the order of their succession, 
extending to the Millennium. 

1. The Assyrian or Babylonian. 

2. The Medo-Persian. 

3. The Grecian or Macedonian. 

4. The Roman. 

5. The Kingdom of Christ. 

The head of the image was of fine gold. Daniel inter- 
preted this to mean Nebuchadnezzar and the dynasty to 
which he belonged. The Babylonian empire was one of 
the most powerful of antiquity. It was united to the As- 
syrian empire by Esarhaddon, in the year 681, B.C. 



178 APPENDIX. 

Nebuchadnezzar, to whom Daniel said, " Thou art this 
head of gold," was the most powerful monarch of this 
vast empire ; Daniel styles him, " a king of kings." The 
immense wealth of Babylon, from the spoils taken in war, 
and the tribute paid by conquered nations, is proverbial ; 
and the magnificence and splendour of that celebrated 
capital, as described by profane historians, is almost in- 
credible. 

But notwithstanding the riches and extent of Nebuchad- 
nezzar's empire, its end was made known to him. Daniel 
did not hesitate to interpret that part of his dream which 
related to its overthrow, " after thee shall arise another 
kingdom." It was in the second year of his reign, 604 
B.C., that Nebuchadnezzar had his vision — in less than 70 
years after, 538 B.C., in the reign of Belshazzar, Babylon 
was taken by Cyrus. 

The Medo- Persian Empire. 

Cyrus, during the life of his uncle Cyaxares, who in 
Scripture is styled, Darius the Mede, held the empire con- 
jointly with him. Darius died in the year 536, B.C., and 
Cyrus was sole monarch. His kingdom is represented in 
the image by the breast and arms of silver, and is said to 
be "inferior" to that of Nebuchadnezzar. He did not 
carry his conquests so far, and his empire was not so rich 
and powerful. It lasted 204 years, and was succeeded by 

The Grecian or Macedonian Empire. 

This third kingdom, which was to bear rule over all the 
earth, was represented in the image by the belly and 
thighs of brass. Darius Codomannus was the last of the 
Persian kings. Alexander the Great invaded Persia in 
334, B.C., and shortly afterwards overthrew the empire, 
and established another, known as the Macedonian. His 



APPENDIX. 179 

dominions were so extensive, that he is said to have con- 
quered the whole world. At his death they were divided 
among his four generals, who were regarded as the suc- 
cessors of Alexander, and the several parts over which 
they reigned as still the Macedonian empire. 

In Daniel's vision of the ram and he-goat, as we have 
already seen, the first beast was a symbol of the kings of 
Media and Persia ; the rough goat was the king of Greece, 
Alexander the Great ; the four notable horns, which 
came up when the great horn was broken, were the suc- 
cessors of Alexander. Antiochus Epiphanes, the " little 
horn," ascended the throne of Syria, 175 B.C. In the 
year 168, B C, Macedonia was reduced to a Roman pro- 
vince, and thus ended the third or brazen kingdom. 

The Roman Empire. 
The legs of the image, of iron, his feet part of iron and 
part of clay, represented the fourth kingdom. The Jews 
both before and since the advent of Christ, understood the 
Roman empire to be the fourth kingdom of Daniel ; and 
during the first three hundred years of the Christian era, 
this was the universal opinion in the church. It is com- 
pared to iron, because iron breaketh in pieces other 
metals, and the Romans subdued all the former kingdoms, 
and established an empire which embraced them, and was 
stronger than any of them. By the iron being mixed 
with clay is meant, that barbarous nations, not inclu- 
ded in the preceding empires, were incorporated in the 
Roman. At length this immense empire was divided into 
ten parts or kingdoms, represented by the toes of the 
image, and the remains of which still exist. 

THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST. 

The stone cut out of the mountain without hands repre- 
sents this fifth and last kingdom. It was to be set up by 



180 APPENDIX. 

the God of heaven, and never to be destroyed. By it, the 
iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, were to 
be broken in pieces, and become like the chaff of the 
summer threshing-floors, carried away by the wind. This 
kingdom was not to be established by victorious armies, or 
human power, but by an invisible agency, as a stone cut 
out without hands ; and in this it would be distinguished 
from all preceding kingdoms, and be known as the king- 
dom of the great God of heaven. At length as the stone 
consumes all other kingdoms, it becomes a great mountain 
and fills the earth. 

" In the days of these kings," that is, in the days of 
the emperors of Rome, this kingdom was to be set up, 
Christ was born while the Roman empire was in its 
strength. The stone has smitten the image upon its feet, 
the old Roman empire has been broken in pieces ; and it 
will continue to smite until all its remains are consumed, 
and that great ecclesiastical usurpation, represented in the 
Apocalypse by the woman whom the beast carried, which 
has perpetuated the old empire, or the fourth kingdom, in 
some degree of unity and strength, is overthrown. Then 
will the stone become a great mountain and fill the earth ; 
then will the kingdom, and the greatness of the kingdom, 
under the whole heaven, be given to the people of the 
saints of the Most High. The mountain which is to fill 
the earth is a figure of the church, or the kingdom of 
Christ, during the Millennium. In this prophecy, there- 
fore, we have foretold the overthrow of every persecuting 
power, every thing that exalteth itself against God, and 
the coming in of that glorious era foretold by John in the 
twentieth chapter of the Apocalypse. 



APPENDIX. 181 

Nebuchadnezzar's second dream. 
Dan, iv. 

10 Thus were the visions of my head in my bed ; I saw, and behold a 
tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great. 

11 The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto 

12 heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth : The leaves 
thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for 
all : the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of 
the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it. 

13 I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and behold, a watcher 
J 4 and a holy one came down from heaven ; He cried aloud, and said 

thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his 
leaves, and scatter his fruit ; let the beasts get away from under it, 

15 and the fowls from his branches. Nevertheless, leave the stump of 
his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the 
tender grass of the field ; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, 

16 and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth. Let 
his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given 

17 unto him ; and let seven times pass over him. This matter is by 
the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy 
ones ; to the intent that the living may know that tke Most High 
ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, 
and setteth up over it the basest of men. 

This, as interpreted by Daniel, related wholly to Ne- 
buchadnezzar, and does not in this work require any 
special notice. 



THE FIRST VISION OF DANIEL. 
Dan. vii. 

2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the 

3 four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. And four great 

4 beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. The first 
was like a lion, and had eagle's wings; I beheld till the wings 
thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made 
stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it. 

5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up 
itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between 

16 



182 APPENDIX. 

the teeth of it : and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. 

6 After this, I beheld, and lo, another, like a leopard, which had 
upon the back of it four wings of a fowl ; the beast had also four 

7 heads ; and dominion was given to it. After this I saw in the night 
visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong 
exceedingly ; and it had great iron teeth : it devoured and brake in 
pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it : and it was di- 
verse from all the beasts that were before it ; and it had ten horns. 

8 I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them an- 
other little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns 
plucked up by the roots : and behold, in this horn were eyes like 

9 the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. I beheld 
till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, 
whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the 
pure wool : his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as 

10 burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before 
him : thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand 
times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the 

11 books were opened, I beheld then because of the voice of the great 
words which the horn spake : I beheld even till the beast was slain, 

12 and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. As con- 
cerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away ; 

13 yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. I saw in the 
night visions, and behold, one like the Son of man came with the 
clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they 

14 brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, 
and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, 
should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which 
shall not pass away, and his kingdom, that which shall not be de- 
stroyed. 

17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall 

18 arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High shall 
take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever 

19 and ever. Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which 
was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth 
were of iron, and his nails of brass ; which devoured, brake in pieces, 

20 and stamped the residue with his feet ; And of the ten horns that 
were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom 
three fell; even of thai horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake 

21 very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. I 
beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed 



APPENDIX. 183 

22 against them ; Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was 
given to the saints of the Most High ; and the time came that the 

23 saints possessed the kingdom. Thus he said, The fourth beast shall 
be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all 
kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, 

24 and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are 
ten kings that shall arise : and another shall rise after them ; and he 

25 shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. And 
he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear 
out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and 
laws : and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times 
and the dividing of time. 

This vision, we are told, was in the first year of Bel- 
shazzar ; that is, about fifty years after the vision (of the 
great image) of Nebuchadnezzar. It has been frequently 
explained as revealing the same great empires which had 
been foretold by Daniel in his interpretation of Nebuchad- 
nezzar's dream. The first beast, a lion with an eagle's 
wings, has been understood to denote the kingdom of Baby- 
lon ; the second, a bear with three ribs in its mouth, the 
kingdom of the Medes and Persians ; the third, a leopard 
with four wings, the kingdom of Alexander the Great ; the 
fourth, a beast strong and terrible with iron teeth, the em- 
pire of the Romans. But it will be perceived that in re- 
gard to the great image of Nebuchadnezzar, inspiration 
does not leave us to doubt what kingdoms were meant by 
the different parts thereof. The first, is distinctly de- 
clared to be the Babylonian, and the other three are so 
fully described, and as arising in regular succession, that 
it is impossible to mistake what kingdoms are meant. 
But in regard to this vision of Daniel, we have no such 
explicit mention of the nations to which the four beasts 
applied ; and it certainly appears somewhat gratuitous to 
suppose that they were intended to designate the same 
nations. The truth is, that the interpretation of Nebu- 



184 APPENDIX. 

chadnezzar's dream has been taken as a key to Daniel's 
first vision. But where is the warrant for this ? Is it 
that Daniel's vision is not accompanied by any interpre- 
tation ? This is not true ; it has its own explanation 
given by a heavenly being who stood near, and to whom 
Daniel in his perplexity applied. And here it is worthy 
of notice, that this wise man, to whom the rise of the great 
empires, as made known in Nebuchadnezzar's dream, was 
perfectly familiar, never thought of any correspondence 
between that dream and his own vision, or that what was 
revealed in the latter was only a repetition of what had 
been revealed in the former. He says, "I Daniel was 
grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the 
visions of my head troubled me." That the prophet, who 
was so skilled in understanding mysteries, did not regard 
the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream as the key 
to his own vision, and especially as his vision has its own 
explanation, in which there is no mention of the four great 
monarchies in question, goes far to satisfy me that the 
rise of these monarchies was not meant to be re-foretold, 
by the four great beasts. 

The principal part of the interpretation of Daniel's 
vision relates to the " fourth beast, dreadful and terrible." 
All the explanation at first given by the angel was the 
following ; " These great beasts, which are four, are four 
kings, which shall arise out of the earth. But the saints 
of the Most High shall take the kingdom and possess the 
kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever." This is all 
that is said to show what is meant by the first three beasts, 
the lion, the leopard, and the bear ; they were kings that 
were to arise in the earth. It is unaccountable to me that 
Bishop Newton, speaking of what is to be understood by 
the first beast's standing upon the feet as a man, and a 
man's heart being given to it, should suggest that it may 



APPENDIX. 185 

be " an allusion to the case of Nebuchadnezzar, when in 
his madness," inasmuch as this monarch was already 
dead. In the great image, moreover, of Nebuchadnezzar, 
he was told that he was the head of gold, and that after 
him should arise another kingdom, on which the same 
learned writer, just referred to, remarks that the reason of 
Daniel's speaking of him as the only king might have 
been, because his kingdom ended so soon after his death, 
and his successors also were to be considered as nothing, 
as we do not read of any thing good or great performed by 
them. As Nebuchadnezzar was dead, how could any of 
the events in his history have been prefigured by what is 
said in Daniel's vision of the lion with two wings ? And 
if his kingdom virtually came to an end, at the close of 
his reign, what propriety is there in supposing that it is 
again symbolized in the first beast of Daniel's vision. 

It was the fourth beast, without a name, but described 
as dreadful, terrible and strong, with great iron teeth, 
which occasioned the prophet the greatest perplexity ; and 
accordingly the interpretation of his vision related princi- 
pally to what was denoted by this terrible monster. In 
regard to the kings or kingdoms of which the first three 
beasts were the symbols, I would offer the following sug- 
gestions as encumbered with fewer difficulties than any 
with which I have met in any writer on the prophecies. 

The prophet says that he saw in his u vision by night, 
and behold the four winds of heaven strove upon the great 
sea." This represents fierce contests among the nations 
of the earth. The ocean in a storm is a striking emblem 
of the commotions produced by the struggles of warriors, 
or warlike nations, for dominion. The striving of the four 
winds denotes the wide or universal extent of these commo- 
tions. We are then to look for such a period in the world, 
when wars were universal, or nearly so ; and out of which 

16* 



186 APPENDIX. 

state of things four conquerors divided the dominion of it 
among themselves — of which conquerors or kings Daniel's 
four beasts were intended to be the symbolical repre- 
sentatives. 

Alexander is said to have conquered the world ; that is, 
his conquests extended over the principal portions of Eu- 
rope, Asia, and Africa, the three known divisions of the 
world. When he destroyed the Persian empire, and en- 
tered triumphantly the " golden city," he was virtually 
the monarch of the world. But his death was the signal 
for wide-spread commotions — as extensive as the limits of 
his vast empire ; fulfilling his own prediction that his 
friends would celebrate his funeral with bloody battles. 
The voice of prophecy had declared that his kingdom 
should be rent asunder after his death, and not descend to 
any of his posterity. With the mere shadow of royalty 
left, the empire was divided into thirty-three governments, 
and distributed among as many of the principal officers. 
But " this partition," as has been well observed, " was only 
the work of man, and its duration was but short. That 
Being who reigns alone, and is the only King of ages, had 
decreed a different distribution. He had assigned to each 
his portion, and marked out its boundaries and extent, and 
this disposition alone was to subsist." The partition fore- 
ordained of Heaven was that prefigured by the four horns 
which came up when the great horn of the rough-goat 
was broken, and more fully predicted in this vision of the 
four beasts. The empire of Alexander being cut up as 
already mentioned, a series of bloody, desolating wars 
commenced, and a period of confusion, anarchy, and 
crime, said to be without a parallel in the history of the 
world. This state of things continued for more than 
twenty years. It was then that the four winds strove upon 
the great sea. At length, after the battle of Ipsus, 301 



APPENDIX. 187 

B.C., the empire was divided into four kingdoms, and 
" four kings" arose " out of the earth." Cassander had 
Macedonia and Greece ; Lysimachus, Thrace and Bithy- 
nia ; Ptolemy had Egypt, and Seleucus, Syria and the 
East. 

That these conquerors were represented to the prophet 
under the form of fierce beasts of prey, may be accounted 
for on the ground of the destructive wars which they 
waged, and because they were the supporters of tyranny 
and false religion in the world. They were sanguinary, 
barbarous princes, inhuman and cruel to their enemies, 
and even their own subjects. It is an easy matter to dis- 
cover fanciful resemblances between these wild beasts, and 
particular rulers and their empires, and such comparisons 
have sometimes been pursued to an almost ridiculous ex- 
tent. In regard to the first three beasts, they occupy so 
small a space in the interpretation, that, perhaps, it is the 
safer course simply to regard them as symbolical, accord- 
ing to what is intimated above, of the cruelty and tyranny 
of the kings whom they represented. If anything beyond 
this is to be looked for, it must be some general point of 
likeness, rather than a minute resemblance. Understand- 
ing, therefore, Daniel's vision of the four beasts as a pre- 
diction of the divided empire of Alexander — the first one, 
the lion with eagle's wings, may properly be considered 
as representing the kingdom of Cassander, which was 
composed of Macedonia and Greece. This, by way of 
eminence, was the country of the great conqueror, his na- 
tive land, from which he went forth on his victorious ca- 
reer. It was a land of heroes, and a land in which flour- 
ished philosophy and the arts ; and it was, in a peculiar 
sense, the empire of Alexander, and its king, his successor. 
A lion with the wings of an eagle, was the appropriato 
emblem of this noblest of all ancient lands, the birth-place 



188 APPENDIX. 

of world- renowned philosophers, poets, and warriors. But 
its glory had begun to pass away, and its classic age had 
nearly expired before Cassander ascended the throne. 
The prophet beheld till the wings of this beast had been 
plucked. Cassander reigned but six or seven years, and 
soon after his death, a fierce controversy arose between 
two of his sons for the crown. Lysimachus, king of 
Thrace, had seized all the territory pertaining to this 
kingdom in Asia ; Ptolemy had conquered Cyprus ; and 
Seleucus, Cilicia. These three kings, who had shared 
with Cassander in the partition which was made of Alex- 
ander's empire, at length formed an alliance, in which 
they engaged Pyrrhus, the famous king of Epirus, who 
invaded Macedonia on one side, while Lysimachus did 
the same on the other. The country was subdued, and 
the cities and provinces shared between them. Neither 
seas nor mountains, nor uninhabitable deserts, could suf- 
fice as barriers to the avarice and ambition of these 
princes. Never were more treaties made than by Alex- 
ander's successors, and never were they violated with less 
conscience and more impunity. They plucked the wings 
of the first beast, and the people that were once lion- 
hearted, and spread their conquests over the entire known 
world, became humbled by their fortunes, and tamely sub- 
mitted to the yoke of foreign despots. It should be added 
that Greece once more became a republic, and both it and 
Macedonia were absorbed in the Roman empire long be- 
fore the other kingdoms had been subdued by that mighty 
power. 

The second beast was like a bear, and it raised up it- 
self on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it. 
This may be understood as a symbol of the kingdom of 
Lysimachus, which comprised Thrace, Bithynia, and at 



APPENDIX. 189 

length, a part of Macedonia. He was slain in a war 
against Seleucus, after having himself shed much blood. 

The third beast was like a leopard, which had upon the 
back of it, four wings of a fowl. It represents the king- 
dom of the Ptolemies. The symbol, it will be readily 
perceived, is peculiarly appropriate to Egypt ; as in the 
hieroglyphics, and architectural devices of that country, 
animals, and even inanimate objects, with the appendage 
of wings, are exceedingly common. The beast had four 
heads, which may be understood as referring to the first 
four Ptolemies, who alone of that dynasty ruled over 
Judea, and who were all men of great abilities, the most 
able monarchs of their time, distinguished alike for their 
valor in the field, and as patrons of the arts and sciences. 
The last, Ptolemy Philopater, persecuted the Jews, who 
had been in subjection to the Egyptians from the time of 
the divison of Alexander's empire, to which there may be 
an allusion in the expression, that dominion was given to 
the beast. The other sovereigns of this dynasty were as 
distinguished for their crimes, as its founder had been for 
prudence, justice, and clemency. 

We come now to the fourth beast, without a name, " di- 
verse from all the beasts that were before it" — a power so 
terrible, which was to inflict such calamities on God's 
chosen people, that no beast of prey was deemed a suita- 
ble emblem of it. It was the import of this part of the 
vision that Daniel was most solicitous to ascertain. And 
the prominence given to it in the interpretation would 
seem to indicate that the former part of the vision was 
chiefly designed to be introductory to this, the main part 
of it, and to assist in its explanation, and not to re foretell 
the great empires prefigured in Nebuchadnezzar's dream. 

This fourth beast must be understood of the dynasty of 
the Seleucidse, founded by Seleucus Nicator, one of the 



190 APPENDIX. 

four generals of Alexander, who shared in the last divis- 
ion of his dominions. " This family," observes the com- 
mentator Henry, " was very cruel and oppressive to the 
people of the Jews. And herein that empire was diverse 
from those that went before, none of whom compelled the 
Jews to renounce their religion, but the kings of Syria 
did, and used them barbarously. Their armies and com- 
manders were the great iron teeth with which they de- 
voured and brake in pieces the people of God, and they 
trampled on the residue of them. The ten horns are then 
supposed to be ten kings that reigned successively in Sy- 
ria ; and then the little horn is Antiochus Epiphanes, the 
last of the ten, who by one means or other, undermined 
three of the kings, and got the government. He was a 
man of great ingenuity, and is therefore said to have eyes 
like the eyes of a marl ; and was very bold and daring, 
had a mouth speaking great things." Henry suggests 
this as one of the interpretations of the fourth beast, 
which had been advanced among the learned. 

As to the ten horns, they denote the kings of Syria in 
their succession, during the subjection of the Jews to 
them. That three of the horns should be plucked up by 
the little horn is explained by the angel to mean, that a king 
should arise under this dynasty, who was to subdue three 
kings. History is not wanting in material to illustrate the 
fulfillment of this part of the prediction. Antiochus 
Epiphanes (the little horn) had been sent by his father, 
Antiochus the Great, as a hostage to Rome, where he re- 
sided thirteen years. Seleucus Philopater, who succeeded 
Antiochus the Great, as he wanted the services of his 
brother, probably in some military expedition, sent Deme- 
trius his only son, who was but twelve years old, to Rome 
as a hostage, in exchange for his brother. But before An- 
tiochus arrived, Seleucus was poisoned by his treasurer, 



APPENDIX. 191 

Heliodorus, who supposed that he could easily seize on 
the crown. The usurper had a strong party, and another 
was formed in favor of Ptolemy Philometor, whose mo- 
ther was sister of the late king. But Antiochus succeeded 
in expelling Heliodorus, and seating himself on the throne. 
Thus he acceded to the government, after three kings had 
been supplanted, Seleucus, Demetrius, the rightful heir, 
and Ptolemy. 

In Daniel's vision of the ram and he-goat, already no- 
ticed, the little horn was shown to be a symbol of Anti- 
ochus Epiphanes. The facts there stated equally serve 
to illustrate what is foretold here of the atrocities of this 
cruel persecutor — " he shall speak great words against 
the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most 
High, and think to change times and laws." It is unne- 
cessary to dwell upon the well-known history of the suffer- 
ings of the Jews under this persecutor, and of his at- 
tempts to suppress their religion. It will be sufficient 
to say, that with the exception of the sufferings of the 
Jews at the siege and capture of Jerusalem, they never 
endured anything at all to be compared with the 
cruelties inflicted on them by Antiochus Epiphanes. It 
was predicted that they should " be given into his 
hand, until a time, and times, and a dividing of time." 
The same period is given in Dan. xii. 7, there expressed, 
"time, times, and an half;" or more accurately, as in 
the margin, u part of a time." A time is understood 
to mean one year — times two years ; and the dividing, or 
part of a time, some portion of another year. This period 
has been commonly supposed to be equivalent to three 
years and a half, and the same as the 42 months and the 
1260 days, in Revelation. But, if I mistake not, a little 
attention will serve to satisfy any unbiassed mind, that 
there is no such period in Daniel as 1260 days. In Dan. 



192 APPENDIX. 

xii. 11, we have 1290 days, and this unquestionably is 
the period designated in Dan. viiL 25, by " a time, times, 
and the dividing of time," and in Dan. xii. 7, by " time, 
times and a part." This was the period during which Anti- 
ochus was to wear out the chosen people of God, and think 
to change times and laws, or the customs appointed by 
Moses. It was in the month of May, 168 B.C., that he 
sent an army of 22,000 to subdue and plunder Jerusalem. 
The city was fired in several places, and soldiers were 
stationed in the temple to slay all who came there to wor- 
ship ; so that the daily sacrifice was discontinued agree- 
able to prediction. The temple was purified and the daily 
sacrifice reinstated by Judas Maccabeus, Dec. 25th, 165 
B.C. ; so that if we take the 25th of that month, in which 
the daily sacrifice ceased, and the Mosaic ritual was abol- 
ished, from which to reckon, we have the period, " a time, 
and times, and the dividing of time," or 1290 days, du- 
ring which the power of the " little horn" was to continue. 
The Jews, it should be remembered, allowed thirty days 
to a month, or 360 days to the year. 

The second vision of Daniel, or that which he had in 
the third year of Belshazzar was first examined, and re- 
quires no further notice in this place. 



THE SEVENTY WEEKS. 



Dan. ix. 

24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people, and upon thy holy 
city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and 
to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting right- 
eousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint 
the Most Holy. 

Sacred expositors are, in the main, agreed as to the 



APPENDIX. 193 

meaning or accomplishment of this prediction. The 
children of Israel were in captivity in Babylon ; and the 
seventy years of their bondage, as predicted by Jeremiah, 
were drawing to a close. Daniel had been consulting that 
prediction, and convinced that the time for its fulfillment 
was near at hand, he set his " face unto the Lord God, to 
seek by prayer and supplications." And while he was 
praying, the angel Gabriel was sent to foretell a more glo- 
rious event than deliverance from the Babylonish captivity, 
the coming of Messiah. 

The seventy weeks, i. e. seventy times seven = 490, 
denote the number of years when the events predicted 
would take place. Daniel had been meditating on the 
seventy years of exile in Babylon, and hence it is natural 
to suppose that it was to years the angel referred by the 
number, 70 sevens. In the twenty-fifth verse, the angel 
indicated the event at which the 490 years had their be- 
ginning ; viz. " the going forth of the commandment to 
restore and rebuild Jerusalem." There are no less than 
three decrees mentioned by Ezra to restore and rebuild 
Jerusalem. The first in the first year of Cyrus, (Ezra, 
ch. i.) 536 B.C. The second, in the reign of Darius Hys- 
taspes, (Ezra, ch. vi.) 518 B.C. The third, in the sev- 
enth year of Artaxerxes, called also Ahasuerus, (Ezra, 
ch. vii.) 457 (according to Usher) before Christ. The 
decrees of Darius and Artaxerxes were merely confirma- 
tory of the decree of Cyrus ; but we must reckon from 
the going forth of the last decree. Add to 457 the age of 
Christ, 33 years, and we have the end of the definite period 
490 years, at which reconciliation was to be made for in- 
iquity, and everlasting righteousness was to be brought in. 
This remarkable prophecy closes with a prediction of the 
invasion of Palestine by the Romans, the destruction of 

Jerusalem and the temple, and the cessation of the sacri- 

17 



194 APPENDIX. 

fice, the holy place being overspread by the abomination 
that maketh desolate. It is this prediction in Dan. ix. 27, 
which our Lord, Matt. xxvi. 15, applied to the Romans, 
" When ye shall see the abomination of desolation, which 
was spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy 
place," &c. 



DANIEL, CHAP. X. 

The vision of Daniel, recorded in the tenth chapter, was 
designed to confirm that which had already been " noted 
in the scripture of truth" — that the Persian empire would 
be overthrown by " the prince of Grecia," Alexander the 
Great. 



DANIEL, CHAP. XI. 



1 Also I, in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm 

2 and to strengthen him. And now will I shew thee the truth. Be- 
hold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia ; and the fourth 
shall be far richer than they all : and by his strength through his 
riches, he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia. 

Cyrus, who held the empire conjointly with his uncle, 
Darius the Mede, was upon the throne at the time this 
revelation was made to Daniel, by the man clothed in 
linen. The " three kings in Persia, who succeeded him, 
whose reigns are here predicted, were Cambyses, his son, 
528 B.C.; Smerdis, the usurper, 522 B.C.; Darius Hys- 
taspes, 521 B.C. " The fourth" was Xerxes, the great. 
He was one of the most celebrated rulers of antiquity, and 
it was foretold that he should " stir up all against the 
realm of Grecia." This he did ; for at the head of the 
greatest army ever mustered, he crossed the Hellespont for 
the invasion of Greece. 



APPENDIX. 195 

3 And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great domin- 

4 ion, and do according to his will. And when he shall stand up, 
his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four 
winds of heaven ; and not to his posterity, nor according to his do- 
minion which he ruled : for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even 
for others besides those. 

This part of the prophecy unquestionably relates to 
Alexander the Great. In Nebuchadnezzar's dream his 
empire was foretold as the " kingdom of brass" which 
should bear rule over all the earth. In Daniel's second 
vision it was foretold by the image of a he-goat of great 
size, which was to invade the empire of the Medes and 
Persians, from the west, advancing with such rapidity as 
to seem not to touch the ground. Alexander, the founder 
of this empire, is here described as extending his domin- 
ions far and wide, and ruling with absolute power over 
the nations vanquished by him. But his empire was to be 
of short continuance ; it was to be divided " toward the 
four winds of heaven," or into four great kingdoms. The 
history which so fully illustrates this part of the predic- 
tion, has already been sufficiently noticed. Macedon, 
Thrace, Egypt, and Syria, were the kingdoms into which 
his empire was divided; and for others than his own pos- 
terity. These prophecies were shown to Alexander by 
the Jewish high priest, when the conqueror visited Jerusa- 
lem on his way to invade Persia. 

5 And the king of the south shall be strong, and one of his princes ; 
and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion ; his domin- 

6 ion shall be a great dominion. And in the end of years they shall 
join themselves together; for the king's daughter of the south shall 
come to the king of the north to make an agreement : but she shall 
not retain the power of the arm ; neither shall he stand, nor his 
arm : but she shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he 
that begat her, and he that strengthened her in these times. 

" The king of the south" was Ptolemy Lagus, or Soter, 



196 APPENDIX. 

as he is sometimes called, who was king of Egypt, which 
was situated south of Judea. Syria was on the north, 
which kingdom, at the partition of the empire, fell to Se- 
leucus Nicator. Henry suggests the reason why the 
sovereigns of Syria and Egypt are so particularly referred 
to by the prophet — they were " strong," i. e. carried on 
war against the people of God. The Jews were at first 
in subjection to the Ptolemies, and were cruelly persecuted 
by Ptolemy Philopater, who attempted to penetrate into the 
most holy place of the temple. About 40,000 of them were 
slain at Alexandria. But the king of the north was strong 
above " the king of the south ;" the people of God suffered 
far more from the Seleucidse than they did from the La- 
gidse or the Ptolemies. Antiochus the Great, to whom 
they submitted at first, treated them well ; but Antiochus 
Epiphanes went far beyond Ptolemy Philopater in his 
atrocities and cruelties towards the Jews. But the kings 
of Egypt and Syria were also strong in respect to the ex- 
tent of their dominion. Most of the maritime provinces of 
Asia Minor, with Egypt, Ccele-Syria, Arabia, and Pales- 
tine, were included in the empire of the Ptolemies ; but 
the Seleucidse are said to have had no less than seventy- 
two kingdoms under them, so that their dominion was 
much more extensive than that of the kings of Egypt. 
The dynasty set up by Seleucus Nicator, was in fact much 
more powerful than that of any other of Alexander's suc- 
cessors. 

6 And in the end of years they shall join themselves together ; for the 
king's daughter of the south shall come to the king of the north to 
make an agreement: but she shall not retain the power of the arm; 
neither shall he stand, nor his arm: but she shall be given up, and 
they that brought her, and he that begat her, and he that strength- 
ened her in these times. 

This is a most remarkable prediction. It is a circum- 



APPENDIX. 197 

stantial account of events most extraordinary in their na- 
ture, given more than 300 years before they took place. 
It is foretold here that in the end of (appointed) years, that 
is, not far from 70 years after the partition of the Mace- 
donian empire, the kings of Syria and Egypt, mentioned 
in the preceding verse, should conclude a treaty of 
peace ; that the daughter of Ptolemy should marry the 
king of Syria ; but that she should be divorced, and both 
her husband and her father should be cut off The facts 
of history are these : Seleucus Theos, and Ptolemy Phila- 
delphus, had been engaged in war for a long space of time, 
during which Antiochus lost all the eastern provinces of 
his empire, beyond the Tigris, by revolt. These disasters 
led him to desire a peace, and a treaty was accordingly 
entered into with Ptolemy, by which Seleucus agreed to 
divorce his wife Laodice, and marry Berenice the daugh- 
ter of Ptolemy, and to disinherit his children by Laodice, 
and secure the crown to those of Berenice. Laodice was 
accordingly repudiated, and the marriage with the daugh- 
ter of Ptolemy was celebrated with great splendor at Se- 
leucia. Ptolemy, whose health had long been declining, 
died 246 B.C. The tidings had no sooner reached Seleu- 
cus, than he repudiated Berenice and reinstated Laodice. 
The queen well knew the fickleness of her husband's dis- 
position ; she therefore caused him to be poisoned, and 
concerted artful measures, by which she had her eldest son 
Callinicus proclaimed king. Not thinking herself secure 
as long as Berenice and her son lived, she at length found 
means to have them destroyed. Berenice, her son, and 
their Egyptian attendants, were murdered in the most 
inhuman manner at Daphne, where they had taken 
refuge. 

Porphyry, a celebrated infidel, who flourished near the 
close of the third century of the Christian era, in the 

17* 



198 APPENDIX. 

twelfth of the fifteen books which he wrote against the 
Christian religion, represented the prophecies of Daniel as 
predictions made after the events to which they refer. He 
affirmed that they were written by somebody who lived in 
Judea about the time of Antiochus Epiphanes. To charge 
the composition with being a forgery, was the only way in 
which he could resist the evidence of its divine origin ; and 
it is one of the most striking proofs of the " historical cor- 
rectness and minuteness of the description. 5 ' But the book 
of Daniel, besides giving in outline the history of the Sy- 
rian and Egyptian monarchies, and particularly the his- 
tory of Antiochus Epiphanes, contains, as we have seen, 
predictions which were not fulfilled until long after his 
day, and others which are not even yet fully accom- 
plished, and will not be till the day of millennial glory. 
Besides the well-known religious care with which the 
Jews transcribed and preserved the sacred writings, is ut- 
terly irreconcilable with the idea of forgery or interpolation. 

7 But out of a branch of her roots shall one stand up in his estate, 
which shall come with an army, and shall enter into the fortress of 
the king of the north, and shall deal against them and shall prevail: 

8 And shall also carry captive into Egypt their gods, with their 
princes, and with their precious vessels of silver and of gold ; and 

9 he shall continue more years than the king of the north. So the 
king of the south shall come into his kingdom, and shall return into 
his own land. 

This part of the prophecy declares that a relative of 
Berenice would come with an army from his kingdom to 
avenge her death — that he would obtain the victory over 
" the king of the north," that is, Syria — that he would take 
captive their princes, and carry their gods and vessels of 
gold and silver away with him — and that this conqueror 
would outlive the king of the north. It is also foretold that 
the king of the south would return into his own land, with- 



APPENDIX. 199 

out effecting the complete overthrow of the king of the 
north. The facts of history are these ; Ptolemy Euer- 
geles, king of Egypt, when he heard of the peril of his 
sister Berenice, at Daphne, marched a formidable army 
into Syria, and caused Laodice to be put to death, took 
from Callinicus, Syria, Cilicia, and several of his eastern 
provinces, seized 40,000 talents of silver, and 2500 sta- 
tues, among which were the gods of Egypt which Camby- 
ses had sent into Persia, and carried them back into 
Egypt. A sedition required Ptolemy to return home, or 
he would certainly have conquered the entire Syrian em- 
pire. He survived Callinicus four or five years. 

10 But his sons shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a multitude of 
great forces : and one shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass 
through: then shall he return 3 and be stirred up, even to his for- 
tress. 

The sons of Seleucus Callinicus were Seleucus Cerau- 
nus and Antiochus the Great. Ceraunus succeeded his 
father, but after a reign of three years, he was poisoned 
by two of his generals. Accordingly he is almost imme- 
diately lost sight of in the prophecy, and the prophet pro- 
ceeds to give an outline of the leading events in the life 
of the other son, Antiochus Magnus, or " the Great," who 
succeeded Ceraunus. His most important enterprises are 
enumerated, and even the manner of his death intimated. 
The great forces which had been assembled were directed 
against Ptolemy Philopater, and in the course of two years, 
Antiochus had recovered a great portion of Asia Minor, 
Medea, Persia, and Coele-Syria. In the year 220 B.C., 
he marched to the frontier towns (fortresses) of Egypt. 

11 And the king of the south shall be moved with choler, and shall 
come forth and fight with him, even with the king of the north ; 
and he shall set forth a great multitude ; but the multitude shall be 



200 APPENDIX. 

12 given into his hand. And when he hath taken away the multitude, 
his heart shall be lifted up ; and he shall cast down many ten thou- 
sands : but he shall not be strengthened by it. 

Ptolemy Philopater, who is described as an effeminate 
prince, is at length excited by the threatened invasion of 
his kingdom, and marches with an army of 75,000 foot 
and 5,000 horse to meet Antiochus, whose army numbered 
62,000 foot and 6,000 horse. Antiochus was routed at 
Raphia near Gaza, with the loss of 10,000 foot, and 300 
horse. Ptolemy, flushed with victory, visited the cities of 
Coele-Syria and Palestine, and among others, Jerusalem. 
Here he offered sacrifices in the temple, and was desirous 
of entering into the holy of holies. The opposition which 
the Jews made to it, served but to increase his curiosity. 
While pressing through to the inner court, he fell speech- 
less to the ground, and was carried off in a state of insen- 
sibility. He departed greatly incensed with the Jews, and 
commenced a cruel persecution against them, 216 B.C., in 
which " many ten thousands/ 5 according to one authority 
40,000, according to another 60,000, were slain. In- 
stead of strengthening him, it was highly impolitic, to de- 
stroy so many of his own subjects. 

13 For the king of the north shall return, and shall set forth a multi- 
tude greater than the former, and shall certainly come after certain 

14 years with a great army and with much riches. And in those times 
there shall many stand up against the king of the south : also the 
robbers of thy people shall exalt themselves to establish the vision ; 
but they shall fall. 

After Ptolemy Philopater, who died of intemperance 
and debauchery, his infant son, Ptolemy Epiphanes, as- 
cended the throne — Antiochus collected a more powerful 
army than he had before, and marched against Egypt. 
This was " after certain years;" some twelve or fourteen, 
after the battle of Raphia. He defeated Scopas, the 



APPENDIX. 201 

Egyptian general, near the sources of the Jordan, and re- 
gained the whole country which Philopater had taken from 
him. About the same time, Egypt was disturbed by sedi- 
tions, and several of the provinces rebelled against Ptol- 
emy Epiphanes. Scopas sought to dispossess the infant 
monarch of his crown .and life, and Agathocles and Aga- 
thoclea conspired for the regency. Philip of Macedon 
united with Antiochus in a plan to divide the Egyptian 
kingdom between them, and the Jews rebelled and joined 
with Antiochus. A faction among the Jews, however, ad- 
hered to the king of Egypt ; these are the " robbers," 
the refractory ones, who " complied with everything re- 
quired of them, even in opposition to the sacred ordinances 
of the law," and all to " establish," or help forward the 
accomplishment of the prophecy. "But they shall fall ;?* 
when Antiochus obtained possession of Jerusalem, all 
these adherents of Ptolemy were banished. 

15 So the king of the north shall come, and cast up a mou<it, and take 
the most fenced cities : and the arms of the south shall not with- 
stand, neither his chosen people, neither shall there be any strength 

16 to withstand. But he that cometh against him shall do according 
to his own will, and none shall stand before him : and he shall 
stand in the glorious land, which by his hand shall be consumed. 

17 He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole 
kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus shall he do: and he 
shall give him the daughter of women, corrupting her: but she shall 

18 not stand on his side, neither be for him. After this shall he turn 
his face unto the isles, and shall take many : but a prince for his 
own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; with- 

19 out his own reproach he shall cause it to turn upon him. Then he 
shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land : but he shall 
stumble and fall, and not be found. 

Scopas, the Egyptian general, reconquered Palestine 
and Ccele-Syria, 199 B.C., but Antiochus, the following 
year, recovered them, and took Sidon a " fenced" or for- 



202 APPENDIX. 

tified city, Gaza, and other fortified places, notwithstand- 
ing the chosen and powerful troops led by Scopas. It 
was now that his authority became firmly established in 
Judea, " the glorious land." The garrison which Scopas 
had fixed in the castle of Jerusalem, defended itself so 
well, as to require all the forces of Antiochus, and the 
siege continuing long, the country was " consumed," or 
drained of its provisions. The Hebrew may be translated 
" perfected," and then the passage will refer to the many 
favors shown to the Jews by Antiochus the Great ; for 
they flourished greatly under him. Antiochus was now 
resolved to make himself master of the " whole kingdom" 
of Eg}'pt ; the " upright ones," or the Jews, were his 
subjects, and some of them were in his army. He would 
have marched his army directly into Egypt, but he dis- 
covered that the Romans were disposed to favor the cause 
of the young king of that country ; he therefore resorted 
to stratagem, and gave him his daughter Cleopatra in 
marriage, that she might betray her husband to him. But 
she loved her husband better than her father, and was 
true to his interests. Antiochus now turned in a differ- 
ent direction ; he marched westward, and subdued most 
of the maritime towns of Asia Minor, and several islands, 
and thus commenced his war with the Romans. His de- 
feat is next foretold. " A prince" or leader, meaning the 
Roman general, should cause the reproach offered by him 
to cease. He was vanquished by Acilius, the Roman 
consul, 191 B.C., and again by L. Scipio, assisted by the 
king of Pergamos, B.C. 190. He was obliged to submit 
to the most humiliating conditions of peace, by which, in 
fact, he and his successors became tributary to the Ro- 
mans. He fled to Antioch, " the fort of his own land," 
and was afterwards slain by his own subjects, at Elymais 
in Persia, near the temple of Jupiter Belus, which he was 



APPENDIX. 203 

engaged in plundering, in order to pay the tribute required 
by the Romans. 

20 Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of 
the kingdom: but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in 
anger nor in battle. 

Seleucus Philopater succeeded his father, 185 B.C. In 
order to raise the tribute demanded by the Romans, 1000 
talents annually, he became a tax-gatherer, an extortioner, 
and caused the glory of the kingdom to cease. " The 
twelve years of this tribute ended exactly with his life." 
He was assassinated by his ambitious treasurer, Heliodo- 
rus, and thus ended his inglorious reign. 

ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES. 

As the leading facts in the history of this king have al- 
ready been given, nothing more will be necessary here 
than to indicate the historical facts by which the pro- 
phecy was fulfilled. 

21 And in his estate shall " Vile" — fond of the lowest 
stand up a vile person, to vices ; cruel. — The kingdom be- 
whom they shall not give l onge d rightfully to Demetrius ; 
the honor of the kingdom: one party of the Syrians declared 
but he shall come in peace- . f ^ ' f h ^ f £ d 
ably, and obtain the king- , . r r TT i- i 

dom by flatteries. another in favor of Heliodorus ; 

but by flattering the Syrians and 
the Romans, and Eumenes and At- 
talus, he obtained the kingdom. 

22 And with the arms of a flood ** Arms of a flood" — the forces 
shall they be overflown of Eumenes, by means of which 
from before him, and shall he destroyed the conspiracy of Heli- 
be broken ; yea also the d rus, and overthrew the factions 
prince of the covenant. expoged tQ w u ^^ of the 

covenant ;" Demetrius, his nephew, 
the law r ful heir, with whom he 
pretended to have made a cove- 
nant to resign on his return from 
Rome. 

23 And after the league made This pretence was made for the 
with him he shall work de- purpose of deception ; he intended, 



204 



APPENDIX. 



ceitfully : for he shall come 
up, and become strong 
with a small people. 

24 He shall enter peaceably 
even upon the fattest places 
of the province ; and he 
shall do that which his fa- 
thers have not done, nor 
his fathers' fathers ; he 
shall scatter among them 
the prey, and spoil, and 
riches: yea, and he shall 
forecast his devices against 
the strong holds, even for 
a time. 

25 And he shall stir up his 
power and his courage 
against the king of the 
south with a great army ; 
and the king of the south 
shall be stirred up to battle 
with a very great and 
mighty army ; but he shall 
not stand : for they shall 
forecast devices against 
him. 

26 Yea, they that feed of the 
portion of his meat shall 
destroy him, and his army 
shall overflow : and many 
shall fall down slain. 

27 And both these kings' 
hearts shall be to do mis- 
chief, and they shall speak 
lies at one table; but it 
shall not prosper : for yet 
the end shall be at the time 
appointed. 

28 Then shall he return into 
his land with great riches ; 
and his heart shall be 
against the holy covenant ; 
and he shall do exploits, 
and return to his own land. 

29 At the time appointed he 
shall return, and come to- 
ward the south; but it 
shall not be as the former, 
or as the latter. 

30 For the ships of Chittim 
shall come against him: 



although the party that favored 
him was small at first, to usurp 
the kingdom. 

He accordingly resorted to means 
which none of his predecessors had 
ever employed. He was munifi- 
cent in his gifts ; he would stand 
in the public streets, and scatter 
meney among the people. By 
such profusion he attached the 
people to him, and prepared for 
his warlike enterprises. 

First expedition against Egypt, 
171 B.C., in the fifth year of his 
reign. The young Ptolemy Phi- 
lometor was easily vanquished. 
" They that feed," &c. — Ptolemy 
was betrayed by Eulaeus, his pre- 
ceptor ; Macron delivered up Cy- 
prus to Antiochus ; the inhabitants 
of Alexandria proclaimed Phys- 
con king. In the treaty made be- 
tween Antiochus and Ptolemy 
Philometor, there was great dis- 
simulation on both sides. The 
former professed to have his 
nephew's interest in view, the lat- 
ter to have the greatest confidence 
in his uncle ; but both were insin- 
cere, and yet neither of them se- 
cured the object aimed at by this 
artifice. 

Antiochus having seized the 
strong cities in Egypt, and taken 
the spoil thereof, returned into 
Syria. He commenced persecu- 
ting the Jews ; he slew thousands 
of the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 

He undertook another expedition 
to Egypt, two years after the one 
before referred to, but it was not 
equally successful ; he was deter- 
red from prosecuting it by an em- 
bassy from the Romans, under Po- 



APPENDIX. 



205 



therefore he shall be griev- 
ed, and return, and have 
indignation against the 
holy covenant: so shall he 
do; he shall even return, 
and have intelligence with 
them that forsake the holy 
covenant. 



31 And arms shall stand on 
his part, and they shall 
pollute the sanctuary of 
strength, and shall take 
away the daily sacrifice, 
and they shall place the 
abomination that maketh 
desolate. 

32 And such as do wickedly 
against the covenant shall 
he corrupt by flatteries : but 
the people that do know 
their God shall be strong, 
and do exploits. 

33 And they that understand 
among the people shall in- 
struct many : yet they 
shall fall by the sword, and 
by flame, by captivity, and 
by spoil, many days. 

34 Now when they shall fall, 
they shall be holpen with 
a little help: but many 
shall cleave to them with 
flatteries. 

35 And some of them of un- 
derstanding shall fall, to 



pilius Laenas, who arrived on 
board a fleet in Egypt, having 
been sent by the Senate, at the re- 
quest of the sons of Cleopatra. 
44 Chittim" was a general name for 
Italy, Greece, and the islands of 
the Mediterranean. Great was 
the indignation of Antiochus, at 
being compelled to leave Egypt ; 
and heartless tyrant as he was, he 
resolved to vent it against the 
Jews, whom he detested, and whom 
he had severely persecuted at his 
return from Egypt, on a former oc- 
casion, slaying, it is said, 40,000 in 
the space of three days, and sell- 
ing as many more into captivity. 
Some have supposed that there is 
at this point in the prophecy, a 
transition to the Romans, but such 
a supposition seems altogether ar- 
bitrary and unwarrantable. 

Appolonias was despatched into 
Judea with an army of 22,000 
men ; he plundered Jerusalem, 
fired it in several places, slew those 
who came to worship in the temple, 
so that the daily sacrifice was 
omitted. With the concurrence 
of Maccabeus and other apostate 
Jews, the temple was consecrated 
to Jupiter Olympius, and his statue 
placed in it. 

" The people that do know their 
God" — the pious Jews, led by 
Eleazar and the Maccabees, with 
great courage, withstood the pro- 
fanations of Antiochus. Judas 
Maccabeus and Mattathias had 
but a small force, but they did 
44 exploits." Yet the persecutor 
did all he could by the sword, by 
fire, by captivity, to exterminate 
the true religion. In the pride of 
his heart, he blasphemed the God 
of Israel, and boasted that he 

18 



206 



APPENDIX. 



try them, and to purge and 
to make them white, even 
to the time of the end : be- 
cause it is yet for a time 
appointed. 

36 And the king shall do ac- 
cording to his will ; and he 
shall exalt himself, and 
magnify himself above 
every god, and shall speak 
marvellous things against 
the God of gods, and shall 
prosper till the indignation 
be accomplished : for that 
is determined shall be done. 

37 Neither shall he regard the 
God of his fathers, nor the 
desire of women, nor re- 
gard any god : for he shall 
magnify himself above all. 

38 But in his estate shall he 
honor the god of forces: 
and a god whom his fa- 
thers knew not shall he 
honor with gold, and sil- 
ver, and with precious 
stones, and pleasant things. 

39 Thus shall he do in the 
most strong holds with a 
strange god, whom he shall 
acknowledge and increase 
with glory ; and he shall 
cause them to rule over 
many, and shall divide the 
land for grain. 

40 And at the time of the 
end shall the king of the 
south push at him: and 
the king of the north shall 
come against him like a 
whirlwind, with chariots, 
and with horsemen, and 
with many ships; and he 
shall enter into the coun- 
tries and shall overflow and 
pass over. 

41 He shall enter also into 
the glorious land, and 
many countries shall be 
overthrown ; but these 
shall escape out of his 
hand, even Edom, and 



would not leave a single trace of 
the Jewish religion. 



" Epiphanes ridiculed all reli- 
gions. He plundered the temples 
of Greece, and wanted to rob that 
of Elymais." It lias been sug- 
gested that his not regarding the 
desire of women may refer to his 
unnatural lusts, or to his cruelty, 
which spared no age or sex. The 
god of forces may mean Jupiter 
Olympius, said to have been intro- 
duced among the Syrians by An- 
tiochus. This idol he introduced 
into the " most strong holds," the 
sacred temple of the Jews. 



Here is foretold his last expedi- 
tion against Egypt, and his over- 
throw. In this furious assault, he 
took the •* glorious land," or the 
land of Israel in his way, to lay it 
waste. Edom and Moab joined 
him against the Jews and were 
therefore spared from desolation. 
The Ethiopians and Libyans 
joined him against Egypt, and as- 
sisted him in taking a vast amount 
of treasure. In the midst of his 
success, the intelligence reached 
him, that the provinces of the East, 
and the king of Armenia towards 



APPENDIX. 



207 



Moab, and the chief of the 
children of Amnion. 

42 He shall stretch forth his 
hand also upon the coun- 
tries: and the land of 
Egypt shall not escape. 

43 But he shall have power 
over the treasures of gold 
and of silver, and over all 
the precious things of 
Egypt- and the Libyans 
and the Ethiopians sliall be 
at his steps. 

44 But tidings out of the east 
and out of the north shall 
trouble him: therefore he 
shall go forth with great 
fury to destro}*pand utter- 
ly to make away many. 

45 And he shall plant the ta- 
bernacles of his palace be- 
tween the seas in the glo- 
rious holy mountain : yet 
he shall come to his end 
and none shall help him. 



the north, had thrown off his yoke ; 
and he immediately started for the 
provinces on the other side of the 
Euphrates ; but left Lysias in com- 
mand of a part of his army to sub- 
due the Jews. He gave him or- 
ders to extirpate them, not to leave 
one Hebrew in the country, but to 
settle it with other inhabitants. 
But Judas obtained the victory 
with but a handful of men over an 
army of 40,000 foot and 7,000 
horse. The wretched manner in 
which Antiochus Epiphanes met 
his death, when the news of the 
defeat of his army reached him in 
Persia, where he was engaged in 
levying tribute, has already been 
related. He came to his end, and 
none helped him. He was " bro- 
ken without hand." 



Henry makes an important remark in regard to the rea- 
son of the minuteness of this prophecy respecting Anti- 
ochus Epiphanes: " All this (v. 21 — 45) is a prophecy 
of the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes, the little horn, 
spoken of before, chap. viii. 9, a sworn enemy of the Jew- 
ish religion, and a bitter persecutor of those that adhered 
to it. What troubles the Jews met with in the reigns of 
the Persian kings, were not so particularly foretold as 
these ; because then they had living prophets, Haggai and 
Zechariah, to encourage them ; but these troubles in the 
days of Antiochus were foretold, because, before that time 
prophecy would cease, and they would find it necessary to 
have recourse to the written word." 

" It is the usual method of the Holy Spirit," says Bishop 
Newton, " to make the latter prophecies explanatory of 
the former; and revelation is, Prov. iv. 18, < as the shi- 



208 APPENDIX. 

ning light that shineth more and more unto the perfect 
day.' The memorable events, which were revealed to 
Daniel in the vision of the ram and he-goat, are here 
again more clearly and explicitly revealed in his last 
vision by an angel ; so that this latter prophecy may not 
improperly be said to be a comment and explanation of 
the former." — Newton on the Prophecies, II. 49. 

The same writer, speaking of the particular and circum- 
stantial character of this prophecy, (Dan. chap, xi.) con- 
cerning the kingdoms of Egypt and Syria, says, " There is 
not so complete and regular a series of their kings, there is 
not so concise and comprehensive an account of their af- 
fairs to be found in any author of those times. The pro- 
phecy is really more perfect than any history. No one 
historian hath related so many circumstances, and in such 
exact order of time, as the prophet hath foretold them.' 5 
II. 89. 



DANIEL, CHAP. XII. 

6 And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the wa- 
ters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders ? 

7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, which v>as upon the waters 
of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto 
heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a 
time, times, and a half; and when he shall have accomplished to 
scatter the power of the holy poople, all these things shall be fin- 
ished. 

11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and 
the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thou- 

12 sand two hundred and ninety days. Biessed is he that waiteth, and 
cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. 

It cannot be denied that the question, " How long shall 
it be to the end of these wonders?" must refer to the pre- 
ceding prophecy. The answer, " it shall be for time, times, 



APPENDIX. 209 

and a half^ 55 or " part, 55 as it is in the margin, refers to that 
period, during which the daily sacrifice would be taken 
away, the most afflictive of all the acts of violence and 
oppression which the pious Jews experienced at the hands 
of Antiochus Epiphanes. It is the same period foretold, 
chap. vii. 25, where it is said that the " little horn' 5 would 
think to change times and laws, and the saints should be 
given into his hand, " until a time and times, and the di- 
viding of time. 55 We have the same period clearly ex- 
pressed in the eleventh verse of this chapter, where it is 
said that there should be a thousand two hundred and 
ninety days from the time the daily sacrifice was taken 
away. I repeat what I have ventured elsewhere to ex- 
press, that I am yet to see the evidence that there is any 
such period in Daniel as 1260 days. The period is 1290, 
given first enigmatically in chap. vii. 25, repeated in 
chap. xii. 7, and then clearly expressed in v. 11 of the 
same chapter. 

The twelfth verse may be understood as expressing the 
blessedness of the believing Jews, who should see the end 
of the predicted persecutions, by the destruction of the 
persecutor ; and as giving the very period that was to in- 
tervene from the taking away of the daily sacrifice (the 
chief circumstance in these persecutions) to the death of 
the oppressor. Antiochus perished in February, 164 B.C. 
The daily sacrifice was taken away, May 25th, 168 B.C. 
1335 days are equal to three Jewish years, eight 
months and fifteen days, which is exactly the period from 
May 25th, 168 B.C., to Feb. 10th, 164 B.C. 

18* 



210 



APPENDIX. 



TABLE 

Showing the fulfilment of passages in Daniel, which contain notes of time, in 

literal days. 



Dan. 
viii. 13, 14. 

2300 DAYS. 



Dan. 

vii. 25. 

xii. 7. 

(margin.) 

xii. 11. 

1290 DAYS. 



Dan. 
xii. 12. 

1335 DAYS. 



Subject. — Whole 
time during which 
the sanctuary and 
the "host" (priest- 
hood) would be trod- 
den under foot, and 
the daily sacrifice 
interrupted. 



Subject. — The tak- 
ing away of the dai- 
ly sacrifice. The re- 
storation of the daily 
sacrifice. 



Subject. — Blessed- 
ness of the believing 
Jews who should 
see the end of the 
persecutions. 



Events.— Massacre 
of Onias, the high 
priest by Antiochus, 
Aug. 5th (suppos- 
ed); 171 B. C. 

The temple clean- 
sed by Maccabeus, 
and the daily sacri- 
fice restored Dec. 
25th, 165 B. C. 



Events. -~~D&\Xy sa- 
crifice taken away, 
May 25th, 168 B. C. 

Restored Dec. 
25th, 165 B. C. 



Events.— The dai- 
ly sacrifice taken 
away (the chief cir- 
cumstance in the 
predicted persecu- 
tions), May 25th, 
168 B. C. 

The persecutor 
dead, Feb. 10th (sup- 
posed), 164 B. 6. 



Time. 
B. C. 171. Aug. 5th. 
B.C. 165. Dec. 25th. 



6 yrs., 4 mos., 20 ds.=2300 
days. 



B.C. 168. May 25th. 
B.C. 165. Dec. 25th. 



3 yrs., 7 mos.=1290 days. 



B.C. 168. May 25th. 
B.C. 164. Feb. 10th. 



3yrs.,8mos.,15ds.=1335 
days. 



See the Second Book of Maccabees, Josephus, Prideaux's Connection, Rollin's 
Ancient History, Jahn's Hebrew Commonwealth, and the Chronologists. The 
Jewish year was 360 days, the Jewish month 30 days. 



THE END. 



Stye $tmtan0 cmb t\)t\x iprimtpLcB. 

BY REV. EDWIN HALL. 

PUBLISHED BY BAKER & SCRIBNER, 145 NASSAU STREET. 



OPINIONS OF THE PRESS- 

From the New York Observer. 
The Puritans and their Principles. By Edwin 

Hall. New York: Baker & Scribner. 1846. 

Mr. Hall is the able pastor of the Congregational 
Church, in Norwalk, Ct. He writes with vigor, and in 
the midst of all his disquisitions, does not fail to sustain 
the interest of the reader. The work before us is the 
fruit of much research and thought, and will stand, in 
our opinion, as a noble defence of the character and prin- 
ciples of men whose monument is civil and religious 
liberty in the earth. 

This volume is richly worthy of a place in the library 
of every college, and of every man who wishes to under- 
stand the true greatness of the Puritans. We presume 
that it will be very generally sought after and extensively 
read. 

From the N. Y. Evening Express. 
They set forth the causes which brought the Pilgrims 
to these shores, their principles, and vindicate them from 
the aspersions which have been cast upon them. The 
subject is one of the greatest interest to any person who 
has any desire to know the history of his own country, 
and to be acquainted w T ith the principles and sufferings 
of the most remarkable men that ever reached this con- 
tinent 



20 PURITANS AND THEIR PRINCIPLES. 

From the N. Y. Tribune. 
This is an interesting work for all who in our day ad- 
here to the principles of the Puritans, or rejoice in a 
descent from the noble stock who were the champions 
of Freedom two centuries ago. 

From the New Haven Courier, 

The design of the work is to set forth the causes 
which brought the Pilgrims to these shores ; to exhibit 
their principles ; to show what these principles are worth, 
and what it cost to maintain them*, to vindicate the 
character of the Puritans from the aspersions which 
have been cast upon them, and to show the Puritanic 
system of Church Polity,— as distinguished from the 
Prelatic, — broadly and solidly based on the word of God ; 
inseparable from religious Purity and Religious Free- 
dom ; and of immense permanent importance to the best 
interests of mankind. 

The publication is intended to bring together such his- 
torical information concerning the Puritans, as is now 
scattered through many volumes, and cannot be obtained 
but with much labor and research, and an outlay beyond 
the means of ordinary readers. 



From the N. Y. Commercial Advertiser. 
The author enters with considerable minuteness into 
English ecclesiastical history prior to the persecutions of 
the Puritans, reviews the events which more immediately 
led to their emigration to this country, traces the effects 
of that step on the institutions and religious character of 
the people of both continents, and then enters into an ana- 
lysis of both prelatical and Puritanical church polity, and 
warmly and eloquently defends the latter. The style of the 
work is vigorous and clothes a subject on which much 
has been already written with new attractions, combining 
succinctness of historical detail with elegance of diction. 

From the N. Y. Courier fy Enquirer. 
Puritans and their Principles is the title of a veiy hand- 
some octavo volume, by Edwin Hall, which has just 



PURITANS AND THEIR PRINCIPLES. 21 

been published by Messrs. Baker & Scribner, at 145 
Nassau street. Its purpose is to enable the public to 
judge concerning the character and history of the Puri- 
tans, which, as he contends, are now so perseveringly and 
so violently assailed ; and he has discharged the labori- 
ous task with great zeal and ability. He says the ut- 
most pains have been taken to caricature the principles, 
and to blacken the history of the Puritans ; and as an 
evidence of this he cites the fact that very many persons 
at the present day believe that the famous code entitled 
the " Blue Laws of Connecticut," once actually had a 
place among the statutes of that colony ;— whereas, in 
point of fact, they were the work of a Tory clergyman, 
and written expressly to blacken the character of the 
rebel colonists. 

The volume exhibits proof of the industry and zeal of 
the author, no less than of his ability and devotion to the 
principles in defence of which he writes. As to the cor- 
rectness of these principles, of course, we are not called 
upon to pronounce any judgment ; but all who are inter- 
ested in the subject, as indeed nearly all intelligent per- 
sons must of necessity be, may rely upon finding in this 
volume much matter, of fact and of argument, that will 
essentially guide their investigations. 

The work is printed in very handsome style, and re- 
flects great credit upon the newly established house by 
which it is published. 

From the New England Puritan. 

This is a neatly printed octavo, of between 400 and 
500 pages, from the pen of one who has proved himself a 
master of his subject. It gives the history of the Puri- 
tans, embracing the most of its material and interesting 
facts ; and also makes these facts subserve a defence of 
the character and principles of our ancestors. The work 
is ably and thoroughly executed, and it ought to furnish 
a part of the library of every descendant of the Puritans. 

From the N. Y. Christian Intelligencer. 
This is a beautiful octavo, of over 400 pp., handsomely 
printed. As it has but just reached us. we have given it, 



22 PURITANS AND THEIR PRINCIPLES. 

as yet, only a cursory examination. We regard it as a 
very valuable book. It contains a large amount of im- 
portant historical matter, in a condensed form ; precious 
under all circumstances, but especially useful in our 
times, when both Scripture and history are studiously 
distorted to prove the inventions of men superior in ex- 
cellence to the institutions of God. 

The book shows the causes which brought the Pil- 
grims to our shores ; exhibits their principles ; vindicates 
their character from unjust aspersions; and states their 
system of church polity, as distinguished from Prelacy. 
It enters into the history of the Puritans and their times ; 
traces their progress from the discovery of one important 
principle to another; exhibits them in their sufferings, 
wanderings, and landing on the margin of this wilder- 
ness. The claims of Prelacy the author subjects to the 
severe test of the Bible, reason and history. It treats 
historically of England, before the times of Wickliffe ; of 
Wickliffe and his times ; of the reign of Henry VIII. ; of 
Edward, Mary and Elizabeth : of the conflict of princi- 
ple; of Puritan sufferings; of the judicious Hooker ; of 
James I, and the going to Holland; of the voyage to 
America ; of the Pilgrims at Plymouth ; of the storm 
gathering in England; Charles I.; Archbishop Laud; 
founding of the Puritan churches ; rise of the civil war ; 
the Rule and Judge of Faith ; on the alleged right to im- 
pose liturgies and ceremonies ; on schism ; the Church, 
its officers, discipline; Episcopacy; Apostolic succes- 
sion, &c M 



irom the Presbyterian. 

The author presents, in his advertisement, a summary 
of his designs in this publication, which are " to set forth 
the causes which brought the Pilgrims to these shores ; 
to exhibit their principles ; to show what these princi- 
ples are worth, and what it cost to maintain them ; to 
vindicate the character of the Puritans from the asper- 
sions which have been cast upon them, and to show the 
Puritanic system of church polity, as distinguished from 
the Prelatic." All this is accomplished with both zeal 
and knowledge, and the whole narrative, extending back 



PURITANS AND THEIR PRINCIPLES. 23 

to the early times of the Puritans, and embracing a most 
important period of ecclesiastical history, is full of ab- 
sorbing interest, not merely to the descendants of the 
Pilgrims, but to every American Christian. We have 
met with no work, which, to our mind, presents so satis- 
factory, and yet succinct a history of the times and events 
to which it refers. 

From the N. Y. Baptist Recorder. 
The work of Mr. Hall was undertaken con amore,— his 
love of the Puritans is deep and unbounded. He has col- 
lected his facts from an extended course of reading, and 
expressed his thoughts in a style which, if not brilliant, 
is lucid and earnest. We hail with much pleasure all 
such contributions to our Historical Literature. We 
hope those who have read Dr. Coit will read Mr. Hall. 
Their conclusion will be that though the Puritans were 
mortal, and are justly chargeable with many inconsis- 
tencies and errors, they were stii 1 a noble race, the trace 
of whose influence is found in th/ best institutions of the 
world. 



From the N. Y. Evening Post. 

The object of the work, as he states in the preface, is 
to set forth the causes which led the Pilgrims to estab- 
lish themselves on this continent, to exhibit the nature 
and value of their principles, and show the sacrifices at 
which they were maintained, to defend their character 
against the attacks levelled against it, and to vindicate 
the puritanic system of Church Polity. 

The work is not historical merely, but in a good 
measure controversial, and the author wields the wea- 
pons of controversy with no little dexterity and vigor. 
The Puritans were a class of peculiarly strong and decid- 
ed character — a character which impressed itself upon 
the age in w T hich they arose, and the influence of which 
yet survives. The author is a warm admirer of this 
class, and defends their memory with zeal. He takes oc- 
casion to discuss the claims of prelacy at much length, 
not only in its historical but in its other aspects. We 
have no doubt that the work will be favorably received by 
the large religious denomination to which the author 
belongs 



24 PURITANS AND THEIR PRINCIPLES. 

From the Albany American Citizen. 
We cannot forbear to express our conviction that it is 
a work of great merit, and has no common claims, espe- 
cially upon the regard of those who have the blood of the 
Purttans flowing in their veins. Its historical details 
evince the most diligent research, and its vigorous and 
masterly discussion of important principles, shows a ju- 
dicious, discriminating, and thoroughly trained mind. As 
the subjects of which it treats, have, to a great extent, a 
controversial bearing, it cannot be expected, that all wiL 
jddge in the same manner of the merits of the book, but 
we think all who possess ordinary candor must agree 
that it is written with no common ability, and contains a 
great amount of useful information. 

From the Hartford Christian Secretary. 
After an Introduction, containing a glance at the con- 
dition of England before the days of Wickliffe, we are 
presented with a history of Wickliffe and his times, the 
reign of Henry VIII., and the rise of the Puritans, from 
whence we trace them in their conflicts, visit them in 
their prisons, follow them in their wanderings, and come 
with them to their first rude dwellings in the Ameri- 
can wilderness. We behold the foundation here rising 
under their hands, until the wilderness became transform- 
ed into a fair and fruitful field. The principles of these 
noble men are exhibited and explained. The matter of 
Church Polity is discussed, and the claims of Prelacy are 
brought to the test of reason, of history, and of the word 
of God. 

From the Christian Intelligence! % 
We venerate the character and the principles of the 
Puritans of New England. Their history we have long 
rinc ^regarded Is one g of the most important triumphs ; of 
conscience and truth our world has seen. Our country 
^1 never cease to feel the blessed influence of their 
iWSlS; and we rejoice in the conviction, 
which is more and more confirmed by every year's obser 
Nation, that the Puritan theology will spread itself 
widely over our land, and especially on the ^cramental 
question, will be the prevailing view of American 



PURITANS AND THEIR PRINCIPLES. 25 

Christians. We read with interest, accordingly, the ac- 
counts of the Pilgrim Celebrations, year after year, and 
wonder not that such enthusiasm should be manifested 
by those who claim lineal descent from the Pilgrim 
Fathers. That some things occur in connection with 
these occasions, which look very unlike the Puritans, it 
is mortifying to see. There have recently been some sad 
incongruities enacted. "What, for instance, has fiddling 
and dancing and carousal, and all the paraphernalia of 
the ball-room, to do with Puritanism ? If one of the 
good old Puritans should rise from his rest, and come to 
the door of a Pilgrims' ball — would he not more readily 
fancy that the sons of the Cavaliers were exulting in the 
riddance of them, than that the sons of the Pilgrims were 
celebrating the holy triumphs of a self-denying piety ? 
There is, to our minds, very much that is wrong here. 
And then, how comes it that Unitarianism is so ardent in 
the Pilgrim Celebration % What fellowship has the 
Puritan system with Unitarianism ? We were inclined 
to ask, where, on the last Pilgrim Anniversary, were the 
Orthodox ministers — the men who occupy the Puritan 
posts — of Boston? Have they given all into other 
hands — or do they seek other modes of showing their 
regard for the principles of their fathers, which they 
deem preferable to the formality of uncovering their 
heads as they pass the spot of hallowed memory ? If 
there is any anniversary which should be kept with truly 
religious service, it is this ; and every proper means 
should be employed, that the descendants of the Puritans 
should know in detail their fathers' history, and the prin- 
ciples for which they suffered. 

In this view, Mr. Hall of Norwalk has done good ser- 
vice — but his work, in its benefits, goes very far beyond 
this. We noticed his book briefly, a few weeks ago, and 
now, after a careful reading, are prepared to speak more 
decidedly concerning it. We know of no work, which, 
in the same compass, gives so clear and satisfactory a 
view of the origin and progress of the principles of Pu- 
ritanism. There are evidences of careful and patient re- 
search, and a comparison of the best authorities, in every 
chapter. The picture of the Laudmn policy is one that 
has its counterpart only under the bloody Mary, or on the 
opposite side of Lhe channel. We hope to be able to give 
the whole of this, that our readers may know more of 



26 PURITANS AND THEIR PRINCIPLES. 

the man, whose High Church views Puseyism sympa- 
thizes in, and whose execution it celebrates as martyr- 
dom. The history of the successive colonies to New 
England is given with peculiar distinctness — and from 
the reading of it, we have derived a clearer knowledge of 
the several localities occupied. The style of Mr. Hall is 
vigorous, and his whole treatment of his subject manly. 
Our country congregations cannot fail of being well id- 
formed, with such courses of lectures as these. 

As this work has grown out of the late outbreak of 
Prelatic exclusiveness — and especially in Connecticut— 
the author goes into the examination of the peculiar no- 
tions of Episcopacy. The controversy has called out 
several able works, and though this appears last, it loses 
nothing in interest, and is anticipated by nothing which 
has been published. In the chapters embraced in this 
part of the volume, there is a series of original and con- 
clusive reasoning. A certain Mr. Chapin, as well as 
Bishop Brownell, comes in for his share of the showing 
up. In the concluding chapter, a curtain is drawn, and 
we are furnished with a view of some things worth see- 
ing — note, for instance, the topics — " Episcopacy and Re- 
publicanism" — " Episeopacy in the American Revolu- 
tion" — " Reproaches against the Puritans" — " The Table 
Turned." On the subject presented in this last topic, 
Dr. Phillips was led to say something in his late dedica- 
tion sermon ; the detail here given is amazing. 

Mr. Hall closes his volume with a review of Dr. Coit 
on Puritanism, and exposes him fully. Every man of 
New England origin, who possesses any of the Puritan 
spirit, we should think, would make himself acquainted 
with this book. We commend it to every reader. 

After these remarks concerning the book in general, 
there is one circumstance to which we would call special 
attention. Who has not heard of " the Blue Laws of 
Connecticut" — who has not felt aggrieved that good men 
should be concerned in their enactment ? Behold, they 
are an absolute fiction — a mere Munchausen affair — ac- 
cording to Mr. Hall, the work of a Rev. Mr. Peters, an 
Episcopal clergyman, a Tory, who abandoned our coun- 
try at the opening of the Revolution, and fled to Eng 
land. Mr. Hall very justly expresses his amazement, 
that this man's fabrications should be brought out in a 
recent impression, with special commendation. 



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